Rurouni Heir
by Kitsanken
Summary: Kenshin has a secret that he's been hiding from everyone.Suddenly, circumstance arise that threaten to reveal this secret.There is one person he trusts with this secret.Soon wedding bells are played and the new couple is off to England.ALTERNATE PAIRING!
1. Prologue

Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic

_Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X Original Japanese Version © N.Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual Works Inc. * Sony Pictures Entertainment_

_All Fanfics created by Chiruken and Rurouni Angel were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A collaboration of Rurouni Angel and Chiruken

**Rurouni Heir**

**by Rurouni Angel and Chiruken**

Prologue 

The Lady Mary Kingston, daughter of Edward Kingston, 5th Earl of Rodenberry, met Himura Kenzan, the youngest son of a minor samurai who was on a secret diplomatic mission to England. The two fell in love and had a wild, passionate affair that ended with Mary becoming pregnant. Upon discovering that his beloved Mary now carried his child, Kenzan convinced her to elope, both knowing that her father, The Right Honorable The Earl of Rodenberry, would never agree to such a "scandalous" marriage, and they were married in secret at a small chapel in a quiet village in Yorkshire. From there, fearing the wrath of her father, The Lord Rodenberry, Kenzan and Mary departed England for Japan, intending to live a quiet and peaceful life on the southern most island of Japan, Kyushu (one of the only places foreigners were permitted in Japan at that time). During the long and difficult voyage Mary felt the full effects of seasickness combined with morning sickness and fell dangerously ill. Her constitution weakened by this, the ship's doctor feared for her life and that of her unborn child. Finally, just off the coast of Japan during a summer storm Mary gave birth to Himura Kenzan's child a mere 7 months into the pregnancy. The child was not expected to live. They named him Shinta for his Japanese heritage...and Matthew for his English heritage.

Despite the odds, Shinta did indeed live, though he remained small and frail in appearance. Due to the difficulty of the first pregnancy Mary was unable to have more children. Upon discovering the marriage of his son to a foreign woman, Himura Genjo, Kenzan's father, disowned him, proclaiming his actions to be a dishonor to his ancestors. Mary and Kenzan settled in a small farming village on Kyushu and lived a peaceful, happy life with their son, Shinta. Mary told Shinta many stories of her life in England, of the grand balls, the dinners with the peers, the summers in the country and the winters in London. She told him of the Kingston family and their history as peers of the aristocracy. Theirs was an idyllic existence. Kenzan discovered a talent for growing and soon found that he loved farming. Mary settled into life in Japan happily with her small family, though she would occasionally feel the pangs of homesickness during the winter, around the time she called "Christmas".  Kenzan eventually convinced her to write to her father to give him the news of their marriage and the birth of their son.  Reluctantly Mary did so, secretly fearing that her son would be taken from her, she only wrote of his English name to her father, proclaiming her darling Shinta's name to be Matthew Kingston.  She never received a reply to her letter.

When Shinta was six years old a cholera epidemic swept through the village, claiming the lives of nearly everyone who lived there...including both of his parents. The survivors, unable to properly feed and care for their own children, were left with no choice but to sell the orphans of the epidemic to a group of slave traders passing through the village. And so, at the age of six, Himura Shinta, only living direct heir to the Kingston family legacy, and effectively 6th Earl of Rodenberry upon the death of his grandfather, the current Earl of Rodenberry, was orphaned and sold into slavery, taking with him the memories of his beautiful mother Mary with her sparkling blue eyes and bright fiery hair and the stories she'd told him of life in England and his family that resided there.

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	2. Chapter 1

Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic

_Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X Original Japanese Version © N.Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual Works Inc. * Sony Pictures Entertainment_

_All Fanfics created by Chiruken and Rurouni Angel were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A collaboration of Rurouni Angel and Chiruken

**Rurouni Heir**

**by Rurouni Angel and Chiruken**

Chapter 1 

Himura Kenshin, red hair falling into his eyes, bent over the washtub and scrubbed vigorously in an attempt to remove all signs of dirt from the training gi he held in his strong hands.  Gritting his teeth in frustration, he exerted more pressure against the rough scrub board before sitting back on his heels and swiping a muscular forearm across his damp brow.  Heaving a deep sigh he reached to the side for the laundry soap and swiftly rubbed the bar against the soaked material.  When satisfied that he had sufficiently soaped the soiled cloth he set the bar aside again and proceeded to continue scrubbing.  _Dammit!  You WILL come clean!_

Makimachi Misao, green eyes narrowed against the bright glare of the sun beating down on the dry yard of the Kamiya Doujou, sighed and leaned forward, dark braid falling over her shoulder, her gaze focusing on the rurouni's irritated expression.  "Problems, Himura?"

He sighed and dropped the soaked gi back into the water with a plot.  Sitting back on his heels he stared straight ahead for a moment, expressive violet eyes troubled.  "Misao-dono…" He turned to look at her briefly before reaching inside his faded and worn gi.  "I…" He paused and clutched a newspaper tightly with his damp and soapy hands before drawing in a deep, shuddering breath.  "I may have a problem, Misao-dono, that I may."  He stood slowly and moved to sit beside her on the engawa, still gripping the newspaper in a tight, white-knuckled hold and closed his eyes tightly, a small tremor passing through his tense form.  

Misao waited patiently for her friend to continue, watching his expression carefully.  "Hey, Himura…come on, just spit it out.  What's wrong?"

He opened his eyes and stared down at the newspaper he was currently mangling.  Slowly forcing his hands to relax their death grip, he smoothed the paper across his thighs and opened it to the second page.  Handing the paper to his younger companion he pointed to an article.  "This is what's wrong, that it is."

Misao looked down at the headline he was pointing to.  ""Foreign Heir Sought'."  She looked at him dubiously.  "I don't understand.  What does this have to do with you?"

Kenshin closed his eyes and sighed, leaning back against the support post of the engawa.  "Just read it, Misao-dono…" _Why are they even looking after all this time?_  He drew in several shallow breaths in an attempt to bring his rioting emotions under control again.  Unfortunately his breathing exercises weren't working.  He could feel the old despair rising up within him, threatening to break free.  _There is only one thing I can do…_ He opened his eyes and stare out across the familiar yard of the doujou he'd come to regard as home.  _I must leave…before Kaoru and the others find out…before this cursed secret is revealed._  He closed his eyes against the pain his thoughts brought to his heart.  _Will they never give up?_  He lifted his hand absently to trace the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek absently.  _Can I still be who they are searching for?  Do I want to be that person?_

Misao bit her lip anxiously, not liking the distant look in his soft violet eyes.  Reaching over, she placed her hand lightly on his shoulder and squeezed gently.  "Himura?"

He snapped out of his daze instantly at the sound of the quiet concern in his companion's soft voice.  Turning his gaze to rest on his friend he smiled a little as he noticed how much she had grown since they'd first met two years before on the way to Kyoto.  Shaking his head slightly, Kenshin tried to summon a typical cheerful rurouni smile for Misao, wanting to reassure her that nothing was wrong.  As he watched a small frown pucker her brows he knew that it wasn't going to work this time.  _She knows me too well…_

"I don't understand how this concerns you, Himura…but I get the feeling that you're fighting the urge to run for higher ground."  She let her hand drop from his shoulder and lifted the newspaper again to reread the article he'd pointed out to her.  Biting her lip she pointed to one line and read it aloud.  "'A reward is being offered to any information regarding the current whereabouts of Matthew Kingston, heir to the fifth Earl of Rodenberry.'"  She looked up at the sky with her lips pursed thoughtfully.  "Sounds like an important guy."

Kenshin closed his eyes and nodded.  "Yes…very…" He paused and looked away from her pensive expression.  "Misao-dono…I know where that missing heir is, that I do."

"Really?  Are you sure?"  She let out a low whistle when he nodded.  "Well?  What kind of foreigner is he?  Is he Dutch?  German?  What?"

He shook his head and sighed heavily.  "Neither.  He's English, that he is.  Well, part English.  His father was Japanese, that he was."  He held her gaze and waited to see if she would piece together the truth he was hinting at.  When her eyes went round with amazement and her lips parted on a soft gasp, he nodded, expression grave.

"B-but…Himura!  How—" She drew in a quick breath and settled for shaking her head emphatically.  "This can't be."  She finally whispered.

"Matthew Kingston is a name I haven't heard since I was a child…"

"So…what are you going to do now?"  She waited and when he didn't reply she snorted derisively.  "You're going to disappear, right?  Start wandering again.  You can't do that, Himura.  Think of all your friends.  Besides…running away never solved anything."

"I'm sorry, Misao-dono, that I am."

"At least wait until tomorrow!  Maybe if we just work together we can come up with a solution.  Please?  Promise me that you won't leave tonight."  When he didn't answer, just stared at her with wide eyes, she reached out and grabbed his hand and held it tightly.  "Please, promise me, Himura."  She whispered softly, green eyes pleading.

Slowly, reluctantly he nodded.  "All right, Misao-dono…I promise, that I do."  He gently extricated his hand from her grasp and turned back to his laundry.  "I should finish the washing before Kaoru-dono returns, that I should."  Kneeling before the washtub, he resumed scrubbing, thoughts still in turmoil as he pondered the inevitable outcome of his predicament.

Misao watched as a frown darkened the rurouni's expression and she knew he hadn't been convinced that leaving wasn't the answer…at least not yet.  A sudden thought occurred to her.  "Say, Himura…what is your name?"

He paused and glanced at her questioningly, thinking that that had been one of the oddest questions he'd heard in quite some time.  "Oro?"

"I mean…which is your real name?  Himura Kenshin…or Matthew Kingston?"

"Both."  He smiled a little at her dark scowl.

"Both."  She repeated flatly.  "What kind of answer is that?"  She rolled her eyes when he turned back to the laundry he was scrubbing.  A sudden thought occurred to her and she snatched the newspaper up again to reread the article.  "Ano…Himura…" She swallowed and slowly folded the paper neatly.  He glanced at her questioningly before focusing on his laundry again.  "Do you know why they're suddenly so intent on finding you?"  He shook his head with a shrug and she fought the urge to throw her hands up and scream in frustration.  "Did you even _read_ that article?"

"Well…" He hedged with a guilty expression crossing his features as he reached for another item to scrub.  "Most of it…why?"

"Most…" She shook her head with a look of mild disgust before leaning closer to him.  "They want to marry you off!"

"Oro?"  Startled out of his dark thoughts, most of which were centered on the last stubborn stain marring the white perfection of Kaoru's training gi…anywhere but on the topic at hand and his English family now searching for him after so many years of ignoring his existence… Kenshin looked up quickly and found himself shockingly close to the young ninja.  "Oro?!"  Pulling back swiftly, he found himself falling with undignified abruptness to the ground, the washtub tipping over and drenching him, plastering his comfortable hakama to his legs with foaming suds dripping off his soaked hair.  "Orororo…"

Misao blinked, a faint blush spreading across the bridge of her nose, all thoughts of the implications of the newfound information concerning her friend's history rushing to the back of her mind.  _Kami-sama…his eyes…they're beautiful!_  She'd never thought eyes could be that mesmerizing…and all because of one too close glance into the rurouni's unusual eyes.  Misao felt a soft smile tugging at her lips, green eyes slightly unfocused as she searched for a way to describe the colour of her friend's eyes, and tugged thoughtfully on her plaited hair.  _Blue…but more than that!  The sky is blue, the lake is blue…but that doesn't come close…_ She sneaked another glance at Kenshin and fought the urge to laugh.  He was still covered with soap bubbles, a dazed expression on his handsome face.  _Orchids!  That's it!  His eyes remind me of purple orchids._  Satisfied that she'd found her answer, the young ninja leaned forward with a grin.  "Hey Himura, do you need some help?"

Shaking himself out of his momentary stupor, the former hitokiri grinned and shook his head.  "No, no!  I'm fine, Misao-dono, that I am!"  With typical rurouni cheer he surveyed the mess with a shrug.  "Well…" Heaving a soft sigh he began to gather the scattered laundry.  "I'll have to wash everything again, that I will."

Misao bent to help the hapless rurouni in his task of picking the laundry off of the now muddied ground.  "Say, Himura…" She waited until he paused and glanced at her.  "Do you really like doing the laundry?"  It was something she'd been curious about for some time.

"Ano…" After tossing the last of the soiled clothing back into the washtub, he sat back on his heels and contemplated a suitable reply.  With Misao, he felt comfortable enough to open up and be completely truthful.  Placing his hand behind his head he laughed a little with a shrug.  "It occupies the time, that it does."  Lowering his hand he stared at the pile of clothes and sighed softly.  "But truthfully, I just like to be clean, that I do."

"Clean?" Misao tilted her head to the side curiously.  "This has something to do with your past, doesn't it?"

Looking at her quickly, he marveled at her incredible astuteness.  "How did you---" He paused and drew in a quick breath before grinning.  "Sometimes I think you know me too well, Misao-dono, that I do."  Standing in one fluid motion he bent to retrieve the water bucket resting beside the washtub.

She shrugged with an answering smile.  "It's the only thing that makes sense."  Her smile turned into a grimace.  "Well, it was either that or you're gay."

Kenshin dropped the bucket in his shock.  "Oro?!  Gay?!"  Shaking his head sharply, he narrowed a slightly annoyed look at the dark haired young woman sitting on the engawa with one knee drawn up to her chest and resting her chin on it comfortably.  "I can assure you, Misao-dono, that I am not gay."  With that said he retrieved the water bucket again and turned abruptly to cross the yard to the well.

Biting her lip, Misao closed her eyes and sighed softly.  "I'm glad, Himura…it would be embarrassing to discover I'm attracted to a man who isn't even interested in women…" She whispered softly as she opened her eyes again to watch as he drew water from the well, her gaze resting admiringly on his red hair.  _Everything about him is unique…_

Feeling Misao's gaze resting on him he paused in the act of drawing the water to turn his head slightly, looking back at her.  The way she was looking at him… He jerked his gaze away and stared into the water, seeing his reflection staring right back at him.  "Misao…" He closed his eyes as he breathed her name on a soft exhalation.  Drawing in a shaky breath, he shook his head slightly.  _Get a grip, Himura…she was just looking at you.  It doesn't mean anything._  Opening his eyes again, he tried to ignore the pang of disappointment his logic brought to him.

Biting her cheek to hold in mischievous laughter, Misao stood and slowly, cautiously crossed the hard packed yard, creeping up behind the unfortunate rurouni.  Knowing that she couldn't actually sneak up behind an ex-assassin didn't deter her in the slightest since she knew that he would play along with her antics like the good little rurouni he was.  Biting her cheek harder as she felt giggles threatening to erupt at her thoughts, she crept closer, walking on tip toe now that she had closed the distance.  _I want to hear him laugh…_ The thought was part mischievous and part wistful.  She loved his laughter…it was so lighthearted and full of fun.  A moment later she paused, watching as his muscles tensed, signaling that he'd detected her presence behind him.  Drawing in a quick breath she leaned forward, pursing her lips into a deliberately thoughtful frown and reached out to tap his shoulder.  What happened next left her head spinning with shock.

Sensing Misao directly behind him, Kenshin decided to just turn to her and avoid more teasing concerning his supposed sexual preferences.  He could detect the amusement fluctuating in her ki, giving away her intentions before she had a chance to put whatever devious plan she had into action.  Turning to face her, his eyes widened in shock when he found himself eye-to-eye, nose-to-nose…and lip-to-lip with the young ninja.  Deciding just for a moment, to throw caution to the wind, he pulled her into his arms, holding her close, and turned the accidental brushing of lips into a real kiss.  He found he liked the sensation of having her in his arms.  When she pressed her slender form closer, her arms moving around his neck in immediate response, he knew he was lost.

Misao moaned softly, overwhelmed by the tidal wave of sensation as Kenshin's lips moved against her own before trailing over her jaw to the slender column of her throat.  Tilting her head back she allowed a soft, throaty groan to escape her parted lips, hands clutching at the damp material of his faded and worn gi.  "Kenshin…"

He froze, feeling as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on him, cooling his ardor instantly.  "Misao…" He whispered her name hoarsely against the smooth skin of her arched throat.  _What have I done?_  Closing his eyes tightly he slowly, gently, pulled her arms from around him, not daring to look at her directly.  "Misao-dono…" He swallowed and cleared his throat before trying again.  "I'm sorry, that I am."  Drawing in a quick breath he turned and bolted, not caring where he went as long as it put some much needed distance between himself and the tempting young woman he'd left standing in the deserted yard of the doujou.

Misao drew in several deep breaths, trying desperately to understand what had just happened.  Finally she scowled and, hands clenched into fists at her sides, ran in the direction Kenshin had disappeared in.  "Damn you, rurouni!  You are _not_ getting away with this!"  She growled under her breath, using her ninja training to her advantage and following in the most likely direction he'd gone in.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_  It was a mantra of self-condemnation chanting through his mind as he turned abruptly and jumped with ease to the roof of the training hall.  _How could I be so stupid?_  Dropping down to his knees he bowed his head and closed his hands into fists on his thighs.  _Himura, you're an idiot._

Misao skidded to a halt and scowled around herself before looking up at the roof.  Eyes narrowing she took a few steps back and then sprang forward to take a running jump, her hands catching the edge of the roof, using her arms she began to pull herself up, bracing her feet against the wall for extra leverage and support.  After a moment of struggle, she managed to roll onto the roof and lay panting for a moment before jumping to her feet and glaring down at Kenshin who happened to be looking at her in wide-eyed shock.  Planting her fists on her hips, she fixed him with a green-eyed glare.  "Have you suffered many head injuries recently, Himura?"

"Oro?"  Kenshin blinked uncertainly up at her.  "Misao-do—" Whatever he intended to say was abruptly cut off when the young woman's knuckles connected with the top of his head forcefully.  "Itai!"  He rubbed the sore spot vigorously.

Crouching down in front of him she grasped his hand.  "Kenshin, listen to me…" When he bowed his head and stared at the tiles of the roof she sighed and reached out, grabbing a handful of red hair and tugged hard to ensure she had his full attention.  "I know you're upset, but don't run away, all right?  If…" She swallowed and drew in a shallow breath before continuing.  "If you regret what just happened, that's all right…just don't push me away.  I'm your friend, right?"

He reached up and gently disentangled her fingers from his hair with a small half smile.  "Of course we're friends, Misao-dono."  He looked up and gave her a typical rurouni grin.

She rolled her eyes.  "I hate it when you do that, you know."  Lowering herself to the smooth tiles, she sat cross-legged in front of him, still holding his hand loosely.  "Your laundry is still waiting, remember?"

"It can wait, that it can."  He looked away for a moment, a frown marring his features.  "Misao-dono…I…" He paused and drew in a deep, calming breath, feeling his emotions swirling around inside, threatening to overwhelm him.  "I owe you an apology, that I do.  I should not have done what I did, that I should not have."

"Stupid rurouni."  She muttered under her breath as she glared at his profile.

Startled, he turned his soft violet gaze back to her.  "I beg your pardon?"  _Did she just call me a stupid rurouni?_

"Oops…did I say that out loud?"  She grinned a little nervously, hoping against all hope that he wouldn't take offense.  "Look Himura…can we continue this on the ground and in the shade?  It's a little hot to be perched up on the roof."

"Misao…" He began, wanting nothing more than to take the hint and drop the subject, but also knowing that he couldn't.

"You're forgiven, all right?  I don't want to talk about it anymore.  It was a mistake…just one horrible mistake…I understand that."  She looked away quickly before he could see the hurt in her eyes.

He nodded slowly.  "All right…" He murmured softly, expression sad, eyes wistful as he slowly stood, tugging on her hand to help her up as well.  Suddenly he scooped her up in his arms and stepped off the edge of the roof to land lightly on the ground.

Misao blinked as he set her down.  "Ano…thanks, Himura."  She turned to leave when she felt his hand on her arm.  She glanced over her shoulder at him questioningly.

"Misao-dono…" He kept his head bowed and drew in a quick breath before continuing.  "I…"

"Kenshin!  Hey Kenshin, where are you?"

Kenshin swore under his breath at the untimely interruption.  Casting a quick look at Misao he groaned inwardly.  He doubted she'd let him have another chance to explain.  "Misao, we'll continue this discussion later." His tone left no room for argument.  He turned on his heel and strode towards the corner of the house, the direction from which the call had originated.  "We're over here, Kaoru-dono, that we are."

Misao stared after him in a state of shock.  "Kenshin…" She whispered softly before hurrying after him.  She knew it was useless to run or hide…he was stubborn enough to drop everything to find her.

"Misao."

She halted and spun.  "A-Aoshi-sama!"  She pressed a shaking hand to her chest over her heart, feeling it thud painfully against her ribs.  _Where did he come from?!_

"Misao, come here."  He watched impassively as she hastened to obey, soft breeze ruffling his dark hair, blowing it into his cool green eyes.  _Some things never change…_ He thought grimly.  When she stood before him, a faint blush staining her cheeks, he gestured towards the engawa.  "Come.  We must talk."

"Ano…" She swallowed against a lump that seemed to form in her throat.  _It's probably my heart!_

"You do realize what you are doing, do you not?"  Shinomori Aoshi, former leader of the Oniwabanshu, fixed a direct stare at the young woman he considered as a younger sister.  _Thank kami-sama she's finally over that silly childhood crush she had on me!_

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Aoshi-sama."  She whispered as she clasped her hands behind her back and stared at the ground…anywhere but at him…and dug her toe into the dirt.

"Then let us speak frankly, Misao.  You are attracted to Battousai."  When she looked up with a hot blush staining her cheeks, green eyes flashing and her lips parted…obviously ready to deny his statement…he snorted and held up a hand.  "Don't try to deny it.  It is plain to see."

"Yeah, well…it doesn't really matter since he doesn't feel the same."  She shrugged and hoped her hurt feelings at the rurouni's rejection didn't show in her tone.

"Nonsense.  I saw the two of you by the well.  He certainly didn't appear to be unaffected or disinterested, Misao."

"Y-you _saw_?!"  Her hands flew to cover her cheeks as embarrassment washed over her.  _Can this get any worse?!  All I need is to discover that Kaoru saw too and my humiliation will be complete!_

Aoshi sighed inwardly and barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes.  "Yes, I saw.  It seems to me that someone should have a talk with him."

"No!"  Misao's eyes darted around, expression revealing something close to panic.  She reached out and grabbed his sleeve.  "Aoshi-sama, promise me you won't say anything."  When he remained silent she stepped closer and released his sleeve to grasp the front of his shirt.  "Promise me, Aoshi!  I don't want you to say _anything_ to him!"

"I think you're overreacting, Misao."  He reached up and gently removed her hands from his shirt, smoothing the wrinkles out distractedly.  "He merely needs to be told of your feelings."

"Uh huh.  Just like you did, right?  No thank you.  I don't need any help, Aoshi-sama."

"Then you are content with this arrangement?  Do not be a fool, Misao.  Love is a precious gift and should not be wasted."

Misao heaved a deep sigh and turned to face him again.  "Please, just leave it alone.  I'd rather be his friend than risk pushing him away by being too forward or demanding.  You know of his past just as well as I do…I could never take the place of Tomoe-san in his heart and there's no use in even trying."

"You are being foolish.  But if this is how you want it to be, then so be it.  I won't interfere."  Aoshi shook his head, a flicker of sadness flashing in his green eyes before he turned away.  "Take my advice, Misao-chan…tell him how you feel before it's too late.  Time is fleeting and waits for no one."  With that said he strode away, steps silent on the smoothly polished boards of the engawa.  Misao sighed again and shook her head slowly as he turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

"He's right, y'know."

With a half strangled shriek she spun, pulling her kunai and preparing to throw them before she recognized the owner of the voice.  "Kami-sama!  Don't _do_ that!"

"Che…you're too violent, weasel girl."  Sagara Sanosuke leaned against a support post of the engawa with his hands shoved into his pockets and a blade of grass dangling from his mouth as he smirked at her, brown eyes revealing an intelligence most people overlooked.

"Don't call me weasel!"  Misao visibly bristled at the familiar insulting nickname.  Eyes narrowing suspiciously, she advanced on the former fighter-for-hire, hands gripping the comforting and familiar smooth hilts of her kunai tight enough her knuckles turned white.  "Just how long have you been here, Sagara?"  Her voice, usually bright and cheerful, emerged sounding like a low.

"Long enough, weasel."  He turned his head, red ties from the bandana holding his spiky brown hair out of his eyes trailing over his shoulder, and spat the blade of grass out.  "So…whatcha gonna do 'bout you and Kenshin?"

She lowered her weapons and bowed her head, allowing her dark hair to fall into her face, obscuring her expression and ignored the habitual insulting nickname.  "You too, Sanosuke?"  She sighed softly and shook her head slowly.  "Nothing can ever become of it, so it's better to just pretend nothing happened."

"Kuso…" He swore softly and grabbed her shoulder, shaking her gently.  "Don't be so stupid, Misao.  He wouldn't have kissed you if he weren't interested.  You should know by now that Kenshin doesn't do anythin' without a reason."  He shook her a little more.  "And he doesn't just go around doin' stuff like that unless he has serious feelin's…he isn't the kind of guy to play around with that sort of thing.  Got it?"

Misao stared up at him with something close to shock.  "But…"

"But what?  Why did he stop?"  Sanosuke rolled his eyes and shook her once more before releasing her.  "You really are a stupid weasel."  He turned and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.  "When you figure it out, let me know."

"H-hey!  Wait!"  She grabbed the back of his shirt and held on tight, halting his progress.  She rested her forehead against his back and closed her eyes.  "Please, Sanosuke…help me to understand…"

Kenshin strode around the corner, expression revealing his implacable determination, and halted, violet eyes widening in shock.  Lips parting of a soft sound of pain, he turned his back on the scene of Misao embracing his best friend from behind.  Hands closing into fists, he drew in several gulps of air in an attempt to calm the roiling emotions threatening to engulf him, the first and foremost being hurt betrayal.  Slowly his eyes opened, revealing amber ringed violet.  Glancing over his shoulder, he decided that he'd had enough of being the "stupid rurouni".  Growling low in his throat he spun and stalked across the yard swiftly, furious gaze intent on the _couple_ standing so intimately close together.

Sanosuke sighed softly and shook his head.  "Stupid weasel…" He twisted slightly, disengaging her grip on his shirt.  "Look…his problem is that he doesn't know how _you_ feel.  You know as well as I do that Kenshin won't ever make a first move 'cause he's afraid of offendin' anyone.  You're gonna have to make the first move, Misao, 'cause he won't.  Got it?"

Kenshin halted, Sanosuke's word's penetrating the haze of anger clouding his senses.  Blinking he tilted his head to the side and regarded his friend with a half smile.  _Imagine, Sano giving out advice concerning matters of the heart…_

"But what if you're wrong?  What if he doesn't feel that way?"  Misao bowed her head, green eyes filling with tears.  "I know I'll never be able to compete with Tomoe-san…I'm just a stupid weasel…" A tear traced a silvery trail down her cheek when she closed her eyes.  "How could he feel anything for me when he has Tomoe-san's memory to compare me to?"

Sanosuke turned to face the young woman and blinked in surprise when he met Kenshin's concerned violet gaze.  He opened his mouth but refrained from giving away his presence when the older man shook his head.  Sighing heavily, the ex-street brawler placed his hand on Misao's shoulder in a gesture of comfort.  "How do you know unless you ask?"  He kept his gaze directed at his friend as he addressed the youngest member of the Oniwabanshu.  "Talk to him, tell him how you feel…you might be surprised."  With that said he turned on his heel and shoved his hands into his pockets, hunching his shoulders.  "I wonder if jou-chan will lend me a few yen…" He swiftly departed, his footsteps against the boards of the engawa retreating into the distance.

"Tell him how I feel…" She whispered tearfully.  "I-I can't…I just can't."  She shook her head sadly, reaching up to brush her tears away with trembling fingertips.  "Better to remain friends than to…" She gasped when she felt strong arms come around her from behind.

"Misao…" Kenshin whispered softly against her dark hair.  "I'm sorry, that I am.  I never meant to cause you pain."  He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against the silken strands, silently inhaling her subtle perfume.  _Hyacinths…she smells of hyacinths…_

After her initial shock, Misao found herself melting into his warm embrace, a gentle smile curving her lips upwards as she lifted her arms as she rested her head against his chest, eyes closed in contentment, and pulled his head down onto her shoulder.  "Stupid rurouni…" She murmured tenderly.  She felt his lips move against the sensitive spot just below her ear and shivered delicately.

He closed his eyes and sighed softly, a small smile gracing his lips as he tenderly pressed a kiss against her warm skin.  "Stupid rurouni, huh?"

She nodded slowly, her smile widening into a mischievous grin.  "Does this mean you really aren't gay?"

"Oro?!  Not that again!"  He shook his head and pulled away just enough to turn her to face him.  "You're a brat, Misao, that you are."  He pressed his lips to her forehead in a tender show of affection.  He smiled sweetly and stepped away reluctantly.  "However, the laundry is still in need of washing, that it is."

Misao smiled and stepped back, wondering how she could go from being incredibly depressed to deliriously happy in such a short amount of time.

**~~*~~**


	3. Chapter 2

Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic

_Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X Original Japanese Version © N.Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual Works Inc. * Sony Pictures Entertainment_

_All Fanfics created by Chiruken and Rurouni Angel were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A collaboration of Rurouni Angel and Chiruken

**Rurouni Heir**

**by Rurouni Angel and Chiruken**

Chapter 2 

_'Foreign Heir Sought'…_

The memory of her voice reciting the words from the headline in the newspaper echoed though Misao's mind eerily, fading into nothingness only to return again…the kanji marching behind her closed eyelids like squiggling worms of black ink, haunting her, mocking her and generally driving her crazy.  A soft moan emerged from her throat as she flopped onto her stomach and buried her face into the thin mattress of her futon only to flip onto her back a moment later to stare up at the shadowed ceiling of the room she shared with her best friend, Kamiya Kaoru.  Smoothing the thin sheets for what felt like the millionth time that night, Misao squeezed her eyes shut tight and forced her muscles to relax in an effort to force herself to go to sleep.  A moment later her eyes snapped open and Misao let out a soft sound of intense frustration as she found herself yet again flipping onto her side and then her stomach.  She knew what was causing her sleepless night.  It was the same thing that had stolen her peaceful rest for the past three nights.  The words echoing through her mind bouncing back and forth as they conjured images of what an English Earl looked like.  Biting her lip as she stared sightlessly at the ceiling, she wondered how one acted…and what would be expected of an English Earl's wife.  Try as she might she couldn't quite summon a serious image of the rurouni in such a role.  Every time she tried to picture Kenshin in the roll of English lord, she either cringed in horror…imagining him doing something completely typically stupid rurouni…or fought to hold in laughter…picturing a very similar situation occurring.

With a deep sigh she smoothed the sheets again and closed her eyes, a small smile curving her lips upwards at the thought of the English lords and ladies and their reactions to Kenshin's typical rurouni act.  She wondered how they would react to one of his clumsy acts…or better yet…his almost unnatural compulsion to wash laundry.  Opening her eyes again Misao turned her head and stared at the closed shouji, trying to push back the images that threatened her composure…like Kenshin with the sleeves of his gi pulled back to reveal his muscular forearms as he knelt before the washtub and scrubbed the laundry with a cheerful smile or Kenshin standing near the back gate to the doujou with the sunlight casting his hair into fiery radiance as he laughed at something Sanosuke said or Yahiko did.  Shaking her head sharply to clear her mind of the images of the red-haired rurouni, Misao let her mind wander back to the events from three days before.  Forcing her mind to skip the whole embarrassing washtub accident, she focused instead on the kiss.  Biting her lip with a slightly annoyed frown, she closed her hands into fists.  _We still haven't talked about that… _Even as the thought popped up she was glad that that particular conversation had not yet occurred. _What am I supposed to say?  I don't even know what this feeling is…is it love?  _She really didn't know if what she was feeling was love.  _Sure…I like Kenshin…but that doesn't mean I love him…right?  _Memories of her love being rejected by Aoshi filtered through her mind and she silently cringed at the thought of being rejected by another possible mate.  _No, Aoshi-sama taught me all about that… _She raised her hands and scrubbed her face wearily.  Her thoughts inevitably always returned to the main issue at hand.  _What do I feel for the stupid rurouni?_

Shaking her head slowly side to side on her pillow, Misao sighed softly and glanced at the other young woman sleeping in the room.  Compassion filled her for her best friend.  _She is probably just as confused as I am… _She frowned thoughtfully for a moment before shaking her head again.  _No, Kaoru isn't confused at all.  She's made her feelings clear from the start.  She's in love with him, too.  _She let out a tiny squeak and hastily covered her mouth, wide eyes moving to Kaoru's peacefully sleeping form quickly to make certain that she didn't wake her up.  _Kami-sama!  What am I thinking?  Too?  _Blinking her green eyes once, and then twice, Misao barely resisted the urge to tear her hair out in frustration.  The urge to scream or do some serious violence was nearly overwhelming.

_No…_ She sighed and forced her hands to unclench from fists at her sides clutching the blanket with white-knuckled force.  _No, not violent…I just really need to let out some steam somehow.  _Her lips curved up into a mischievous grin as a sudden thought occurred to her.  _I wonder if scrubbing clothes would help relieve this awful tension.  _Laughing softly at the thought, Misao's imagination suddenly conjured the mental picture of her and Kenshin sitting side by side doing the wash, sharing the same washtub, smiling and whispering about this and that, their hands occasionally touching, leaning closer…pausing…their eyes meeting…their lips touching as they leaned closer to each other, the laundry forgotten…

Misao gasped, green eyes widening in shock.  _Wait a minute…Kenshin?!  _She replayed the little fantasy out in her mind again, feeling her uneasiness grow.  There it was, all the evidence she needed to prove that she was focusing too much on the red-haired rurouni.  _But it isn't love…definitely not love…anything but love…please, kami-sama…don't let it be love!  _She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and pressed her lips together firmly to still their trembling.  _I can't be in love with the stupid rurouni, I just can't be!_

Biting her lip as she felt tears fill her eyes, Misao had no choice but to admit the truth.  She never lied to herself…never.  She had too much pride and self-respect to try to be dishonest with herself.  _Maybe what I feel isn't love…but maybe it is.  _She shook her head, closing her eyes against the stinging of the tears and feeling a few slip out to trickle down and land softly against the futon.  _But I don't want to love Kenshin!  _Eyes snapping open in horror, she felt more hot tears fall as she realized that she was now referring to the man in question by his first name in her thoughts.  _It shouldn't be so easy to fall into such an intimate habit!  It shouldn't be so easy to forget that we're just friends_.  Another thought concerning the former hitokiri came unbidden to her already confused mind. _His name is also Matthew…Kenshin, Matthew, Himura…who is he?  And what is he to me?  _Misao felt her despair rise up to engulf her as more tears fell unchecked from her brimming eyes.  _Why?  Why does he have to be so complicated?  So…utterly compelling?_

Choking back a sob, Misao reached up and covered her face with her hands.  _Why can't I stop thinking about him?  _She knew that she was confused and didn't really know how she truly felt about him.  All she knew was that he meant a lot to her and that she desperately wanted a chance to discover the true depth and meaning of her feelings.  She wanted to explore the possibility of getting closer to Kenshin… _Matthew.  His name is really Matthew!  Kami-sama!  What do I call him?  How can I know how I truly feel about him if I don't even know how to address him?  _Slowly Misao curled up into a ball on her side and silently wept, her tears soaking into the futon beneath her.  _How is it that I always get myself into these types of messes?  _She lifted her arm to swipe at her damp cheeks.  _First Aoshi-sama and now Kenshin!  _Green eyes over-bright with tears narrowed in sudden anger as she found herself growling under her breath.  "Stop that!  His name is Matthew!"  The young woman nodded sharply in agreement with her statement, knowing it to be true.  _But his name is also Kenshin…_ A small voice whispered within her thoughts.

She jumped when a soft, familiar voice called out in the darkness to her, husky with sleep.  "Who's name is Mat-thew?"

Misao quickly placed a trembling hand over her frantically racing heart and fought to steady her ragged breathing.  _Kaoru!  She's awake…how much did she hear?  _Biting her lip in worry that she may have said something to alert the other young woman to her confused feelings regarding Himura Kenshin, she narrowed her eyes on her friend's silhouette and waited for a moment.  Finally, when Kaoru didn't hurl accusations of betrayal and duplicity at her in the darkness, she looked away and breathed a soft sigh of relief and fought the urge to correct her friend's incorrect pronunciation of the English name.  _If I do that, she's bound to get even more suspicious!  _With another soft sigh, Misao shook her head at her foolishness.  _If I don't say anything now, she's going to just keep asking!  I'm so stupid!  _Moaning at the mess she'd placed herself in, she closed her eyes, mind racing as she thought quickly on how to backtrack and correct her slip of the tongue.  Thinking only of buying time, she blurted out the first thing that popped into her head.  "I'm sorry, Kaoru!  I didn't mean to wake you up."  She winced at the too cheerful sounding tone of her voice and cringed when she heard her friend moving, the sound of her turning on her futon loud in the silence of the dark room.  Drawing in a quick, shallow breath, she turned to face Kaoru in the darkness, the glow from the small sliver of moon shining from behind clouds in through the window casting enough light for Misao to make out the small mound resting on the futon next to her.  A gentle breeze blew, tinkling through the tiny wind chimes hung in the window, scattering the clouds enough that more light shone in and reflected off the mirror standing in the corner opposite from the closed shouji.  Misao found herself staring into the other young woman's sleepy expression, her blue eyes twinkling with warmth and affection, a smile lighting up her face.  The young ninja swallowed with difficulty and forced a smile to her lips stiff with anxiety and uncertainty.

Kaoru reached up and brushed a stray strand of dark hair that had escaped from the loose braid falling over her shoulder behind her ear and covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a yawn before answering.  "It's all right, Misao.  I wasn't asleep anyway."  She sighed softly, a faraway expression in her expression sapphire blue eyes.  "I was thinking on something..." Her soft voice trailed away into a wistful sigh.

It didn't take a genius of Aoshi's level to figure out what was occupying Kaoru's thoughts.  Misao's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied her friend's melancholy expression, fighter her own surge of jealousy.  Closing her hands into fists, she mentally shook herself hard.  _There's no reason to be jealous!  Kaoru loves Kenshin…everyone knows that…I…I'm just friends with him!  _Nodding silently to herself, she breathed a silent sigh of relief that Kaoru couldn't possibly know what was going through her mind and thanking all the kami she could think of that it was dark enough that her expressions were hidden.  _But she's still waiting for an answer, Misao!  Quick!  Act innocent!   _"Oh what were you thinking about, Kaoru-san?"  _As if I don't already know…_ She barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  Suddenly she tensed, realizing that she didn't want to hear Kaoru talk about how much she loved Kenshin and how she wished that he'd notice her and return her feelings.  She didn't want to offer inane reassurances to her friend and bolster her confidence and encourage her in pursuing the rurouni.  She didn't want to pretend tonight that she wasn't jealous and that she didn't care about him, too.  Biting her lip, she winced inwardly at the last thought.  She did care about Himura Kenshin…but in the same way that Kaoru did?  She didn't know and she was afraid to pursue that thought when the other young woman was so near.

Kaoru smiled softly at her friend and slowly stretched an arm over her head, thinking that it was nice to have a friend to confide in without having to worry about snide remarks and teasing.  Misao was nothing like Megumi in that respect.  "I was thinking about Ken---"

Desperately Misao knew that she had to leave before Kaoru could begin.  Quickly standing, she offered an innocent and apologetic smile to her friend and began backing towards the shouji.  "I-I have t-to use the senmenjo…" She whispered before bolting, not caring if Kaoru became even more suspicious.  She knew her friend wouldn't follow, but she'd have to think of an explanation before she returned to the room because Kaoru would then demand answers…in her kind and caring way, Kamiya Kaoru could be as ruthless as an inquisitor conducting an interrogation.  Sliding the shouji closed silently, she paused to lean against the frame and let out a relieved sigh.  _That was too close…  _Slowly straightening she nodded silently to herself.  _The last thing I need right now with my emotions so jumbled and confused is to hear Kaoru talking about her love for Ken—_Misao growled low under her breath and pushed away from her position against the frame of the shouji.  _I have to end this problem now!  I can't keep thinking about him like this.  Sooner or later I'm going to mess up and say something at the wrong time and then Kaoru's going to be hurt.  I can't hurt her like that.  _Nodding to herself sharply, she turned and stared into the shadows of the hallway.  _There's only one thing I can do… _Slowly, silently, she crept down the hall and halted before the closed shouji to the room she knew was his.  Drawing in a shallow breath, she reached out to slide the shouji open, steeling herself for the confrontation she was about to instigate.  _This has to be done…_

Misao nearly jumped out of her skin, a soft gasp of shock escaping when a voice sounded close behind her.  "If you're looking for Kenshin…try the well…" Spinning, reaching automatically for her kunai…remembering at the last minute that she wasn't wearing her uniform and wasn't given to carrying her kunai when she was dressed in a sleeping yukata…she blushed as she came face to face with Yahiko, who happened to be yawning widely at the moment.  Swallowing hard past the lump in her throat, Misao began to step around him, whispering her thanks in a small voice, a wavering smile pasted on her face.  As she hurried past him and out of sight, she allowed a soft sigh to escape and her thoughts to center on the rurouni, a small blush creeping up her throat and into her face, heating it.  She pressed her hands against her cheeks, feeling the warmth and closed her eyes briefly to shake her head.  _I need to find him…see him…_ "Talk to him…" She muttered sternly under her breath.  Misao softly padded down the hall in her bare feet, pausing to open the shouji leading outside and stepping through into the moonlit yard of the doujou.  Turning to slide the shouji closed again she sighed before stepping lightly off the engawa.  Silently she tiptoed around the corner of the house and walked towards the well, blinking in confusion, she caught her lower lip between her teeth and worried it as she turned her sea-green gaze on the well and saw that there was no one there.  _Where could he be?  Yahiko said…_ Quickly looking around, Misao found that her only company in the doujou's yard was shadows stretching along the hard packed ground towards her feet.

Suddenly, the hair stood up on the back of her neck, giving her the eerie sensation that she was no longer alone.  The next instant she felt warm breath next to her ear.  "I just discovered a most delicious bit of information about you, Misao-dono…" Sea-green eyes wide, the black pupil nearly obliterating the colour of the iris, the young woman went rigid.  "When you are puzzled or uncertain, you bite your lower lip, that you do."  She felt his lips moving against the ultra sensitive skin of her neck, teeth lightly grazing and followed by the erotically soothing rasp of his tongue.

She couldn't hold in a shiver as she finally found the strength to take a half step away and spin to face him, a soft sound of surprise escaping her parted lips as she came face to face with the red-haired rurouni.  Pressing a hand against her racing heart she stared at him with wide eyes.  "Eep!"  It came out sounding rather choked as she found herself staring into his oddly direct gaze.  "You scared the hell out of me, Kenshin!"  Planting her fists on her hips, Misao glared at the former hitokiri, allowing her displeasure to show through her expression and body language.  As she met the rurouni's gaze, she blinked and mentally shook her head as a new and entirely different look entered his eyes, causing a shiver of apprehension…_anticipation…_to run up her spine.  After a moment spent trying to identify the strange and new emotion reflected in his beautiful eyes, she finally gasped, her own sea-green eyes going wide at her realization.  _He's pleased about something…but what?_  An instant later she received her answer in a most startling way when his lips curved upwards into a very un-rurouni-like smile and his strong arms came around her, pulling her against his chest as another soft gasp escaped her parted lips, his head dipping down, fiery hair brushing against her cheek.  Her eyes slid closed, head falling back, as a soft moan worked its way up her throat when she felt his warm lips moving against the slender column of her throat.  A delicate shiver of pleasure coursed through her small frame when she felt his teeth nip at the tender flesh, followed by moist warmth as his tongue swiped against the slight sting, wetting the sensitive skin.  Wrapping her arms around his lean form and drawing him closer, she allowed her head to fall back, offering him better access to the pale column of her throat, silently begging him to continue in his erotic assault on her senses.  Moving her hands over the sleek muscles beneath the familiar and worn gi, Misao reveled in the sensations he was evoking, awakening a sensuality she hadn't been aware she possessed.  Running her hands up over his shoulders, fingers glorying in the strength so well hidden beneath his loose clothing, she moaned again and thrust her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer, encouraging him to continue.  Breath coming in soft pants, her lips curved upwards into a satisfied smile when she thought she heard him purr against her throat, his lips moving and tracing a path to gently nibble on her sensitive earlobe.  Allowing her fingers to gently comb through his long red hair, she allowed her head to loll to the side, allowing him better access as another soft moan escaped her parted lips.  "Kenshin…" She felt his arms tighten around her, another soft purr sounding near her ear as he gently nuzzled against her.  Laughing breathlessly, she turned her head and tentatively pressed her lips against his jaw in a shy showing of affection.  "Is that what pleased you?  Your name?"  She whispered softly, pouting a little as he began to move away, leaving her feeling strangely bereft without the comforting strength of his arms wrapped so tenderly around her.  As he slowly stepped back, his arms falling from around her, she fought the unexpected urge to cry out at the sudden loss of his heated lips against her skin and tried to pull him back to her in an attempt to feel the delicious sensations again.

Lips curved upwards into a sexy half smile, violet eyes darkened to deep amethyst and ringed with striking amber, Kenshin touched sword-callused fingers to her cheek in a gentle caress.  "You have never called me by my given name before now."  He closed his eyes and stepped closer to lower his head, soft breath tickling against her sensitive flesh.  "Nor have I ever heard such passion contained in one whisper…" Gently nipping her earlobe again, low voice strangely mesmerizing, he brought his hand up to cup her soft cheek tenderly in a brief caress before dropping it to her waist.  "Whispering _my_ name…" His hands tightened against her slim waist and he pulled her against his hard frame again, lowering his head to nuzzle against her neck, lips moving against the sensitive flesh, eliciting an immediate response from her.

When she felt his hands moving lower to grip her slender hips through the thin cotton yukata, Misao trembled in growing need.  _Oh kami-sama!  This feels so right!  I don't ever want it to end…_ Her hands came up to clutch at his strong shoulders as he pulled her hard against him, his hands moving around to cup her rounded backside, half lifting her against him as his lips moved against her and she felt the occasional sting of his teeth nipping her sensitive flesh.  She threw her head back, a throaty groan escaping her parted lips as she gave herself over to the wild abandon coursing through her veins.  A moment later she blinked and swallowed hard, remembering why she'd sought him out to begin with.  Biting back another groan, this one of protest, she gently pushed him away, feeling a moment of disappointment when his arms fell away without protest and averted her gaze when she saw the regret in his eyes.  Drawing in several deep breaths in an effort to calm her jangled nerve endings, she took another step away from him and tugged hard on the long dark braid falling over her shoulder.  "I…" She paused to wet her lips with her tongue, watching in fascination as his eyes followed the movement, flaring amber briefly before settling back to dark amethyst.  "Kenshin…I-I am so confused!"  She finally cried, her hands wringing her braid until she winced from the harsh tugging.  Her lips curved upwards into a shy smile when she saw his eyes lighten to a more familiar…and less intimidating…soft violet filled with concern.  She shook her head slightly, an odd feeling fluttering in her stomach at the odd way his eyes changed colour so frequently.  _Not now, Misao!  Think about that later…_ She tugged on her braid again to drive the silent admonition home more thoroughly.

Tilting his head to the side with a gentle smile, the rurouni regarded the young woman with concern reflected in his expression.  "Misao?  What is troubling you?"  He reached out and gently removed her hand from her braid, wincing in sympathy for her poor scalp so mercilessly abused by her sharp tugging.  He tried to pull her closer again, back into his arms, but she placed a hand against his chest, stopping his motion.  "Misao?"  He asked softly, his concern growing as she pushed him away.  He allowed his hands to drop to his sides, watching her closely, afraid that she might bolt at any minute.  After the incident over the laundry, he'd come to the realization that his feelings for the young ninja, though as of yet unnamed, couldn't be denied.  He felt the pull between them strongly, as if somehow their ki were connected and it drove him to explore the possibilities, though he feared where it may lead.  He drew in a sharp breath and reached for her again, intending to only hold her close, preventing her from running away from him.  _We need to discuss this…before I leave…_ The thought of leaving this vibrant young woman caused his chest to tighten painfully.

        Misao blinked in surprise, a blush creeping into her face when he pulled her close again, his strong arms holding her tightly against his lean form, his lips moving against her hair.  A soft sound of pleasure escaped before she could stop it.  Placing her hands against his chest, she shoved hard and frowned when he didn't so much as budge.  "Kenshin!  Stop it!  The other's might…" Her admonition was cut short when his head dipped down and his lips moved closer to her ear, soft breath stirring the tendrils of hair brushing against her neck.

        Growling near her ear, Kenshin tightened his arms, sensing her desire to push him away again.  _Please, Misao…just this once…let me hold you just this once…_ "Let them come!"  He whispered fiercely, gently catching the delicate lobe between his teeth and nipping lightly.  "But for now we are alone…just you and I…" His lips moved down to the erratic pulse beating frantically at her throat.  "I want to taste you, Misao…" He flicked his tongue over the pulse and smiled when it jumped, her breath quickening as her hands closed into fists on the front of his gi.  "All of you…"

        Misao trembled and clutched the faded gi in her fists, her knuckles turning white as she closed her eyes, breath coming in soft pants as she felt a curios tingling sensation begin, sensitizing her already sensitive nerve endings.  "I want…" She whispered, voice husky with newly awakened yearning desire.  "I want…" She repeated, her head falling back as his lips moved again, trailing a path of liquid fire up the slender column of her throat to place gentle nibbling kisses at the corners of her mouth.  "I-I want…"

        "What is it you want?"  He murmured against her lips, feeling them tremble beneath his own, her soft gasps of pleasure fanning the flames of his own need.  He drew her bottom lip between his teeth and nipped, releasing it to run his tongue along it, soothing the small hurt.  "What is it you want, Misao?"  _Kami-sama!  She's all fire, my little kanja… _At the sound of his low voice he felt her small form tremble against his own, a delicate shiver moving over her as he lightly brushed his lips against hers again.

        Slowly Misao's eyes opened and she found herself gazing up into his eyes, seeing more amber than violet now.  Trembling, she swallowed with difficulty, feeling her heart beating frantically against her ribs, making it difficult to breath, realizing somehow that what she was seeing was a manifestation of a different aspect to the polite rurouni's shy and gentle personality…one most people associated with the terrifying hitokiri from the revolution… "Battousai…" She whispered without thinking, sea green eyes darkened with desire, needing…_something_.

        Kenshin paused in his sensual assault, placing on last kiss against the corner of her mouth, and raised his head to look into he eyes directly, almost afraid that he would see fear clouding her eyes.  _Like every other time I've allowed my control to slip… _He felt a twinge of regret for that.  People feared this part of him, even his friends at the Kamiya Doujou.  What he saw stole his breath away.  Misao's eyes reflected anything but fear.  A small, half smile curved his lips upwards, amber gaze warm with some unidentifiable emotion resting on her sweetly flushed features.  _She isn't afraid…_ The thought, tinged with awe, whispered through his mind.  Unable to find his voice he continued to gaze into her upturned features.  Slowly he nodded, acknowledging that she was correct in her assumption.

        Misao felt herself go limp, eyes moving over the familiar handsome features of the man she'd called friend and secretly longed to claim as more.  _This is the side of him that Kaoru fears.  How can she claim to love him when she can't accept all of him?_  She tilted her head up, pressing her lips against his own.  His response was immediate as he answered with a heated and forceful kiss, deepening it as she gasped in surprise.  Reacting instinctively, she pressed herself against him, feeling a wanton abandon stealing over her, her emotions spiraling out of control as she met his hunger with her own.  She felt herself falling out of control and it frightened her…_Terrifies me!_…and she quickly placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing against him, desperately trying to bring sanity back into the situation.  _I'm not ready for this!_  And yet despite her efforts to push him away, she felt almost as if she were encouraging him, urging him on when he deepened the kiss further, the warmth of his hands moving over her form, pulling her closer, burning her, branding her, through the think cotton of her sleeping yukata.  She felt as if she was being carried away on a tidal wave of glorious sensation and though she didn't want it to end, she knew it must.  Suddenly he broke away, his head coming up, eyes narrowed as he stared towards the house, his breath fanning against her cheeks as she tried desperately to catch her own breath.  "Kenshin?"  She whispered his name breathlessly, eyes focused on his tight features as she licked her lips nervously when he didn't answer immediately.  She waited another moment before trying again to gain his attention.  "Kenshin…" Misao tugged on the material she still clutched in her hands, finally rolling her eyes when he continued to stare with narrowed eyes at the house.  _He doesn't care about the others, huh?_  Pressing her lips together tightly, she growled low in her throat in irritation when she whispered his name a third time and still received no response.  "Matthew!"  She hissed, reaching up to tug sharply on his red hair to gain his attention.  Golden eyes swung back to meet her narrowed green gaze, his surprise evident.

**~~*~~**

**_Definitions:_**

**_Senmenjo:_**  washroom; bathroom

**_Kanja:_**  a spy

**_Yukata:_**  lightweight summer kimono

**_Hitokiri:_**  manslayer or assassin (literally people cutter)

**_Battousai:  _**nickname roughly meaning "sword-drawer"


	4. Chapter 3

Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic

_Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X Original Japanese Version © N.Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual Works Inc. * Sony Pictures Entertainment_

_All Fanfics created by Chiruken and Rurouni Angel were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A collaboration of Rurouni Angel and Chiruken

**Rurouni Heir**

**by Rurouni Angel and Chiruken**

Chapter 3 

        Misao felt her lips curve upwards into a mischievous smile when his golden gaze met hers, his surprise evident in the amber depths.  _Kami-sama but his eyes are beautiful!_  She bit her lip, green eyes questioning as they continued to stare at each other, eyes soft and each revealing a multitude of emotions.  _Matthew…or Kenshin?  He's both…yet neither…_ A soft sigh escaped her lips, eyes filling with sadness.  _I don't really know him, do I?  _Her eyes narrowed when his gaze strayed once again towards the house, a frown marring his features, lips pressed together in a tight line.  Growling under her breath Misao reached up and grasped a handful of red hair again and pulled sharply.

        Kenshin winced and turned accusing eyes back on the young woman in his arms.  "Itai!  What was that for?"

        She scowled at him, amazed at how dense he could be.  For a moment she wondered how much of the stupid rurouni act really was an act.  Sighing softly she shook her head with a little smile.  "Stupid rurouni…" She whispered fondly, her smile widening when his frown deepened to a scowl.  She nodded towards the house.  "What is it?"

        His eyes moved back to their scrutiny of the house.  "Kaoru is moving within the house."

        Misao's eyes widened, a soft, inaudible gasp escaped her parted lips.  It was painfully obvious that Kenshin and Kaoru had a deep connection.  She felt tears fill her eyes.  _He truly does care for her…_ She bit her lip to still its trembling.  _At least I was able to feel his lips against my own…even if it was for a brief moment.  This is a memory I'll always cherish…_ She realized belatedly that she shouldn't have allowed things to progress this far.  _Nothing good will ever come of this!  The people I care most about will be the ones hurt… _She bit her lip harder, and tried unsuccessfully to blink back the tears threatening to fall.  _I never meant to hurt anyone…_ She pulled away from thee red-haired rurouni while he was distracted, slowly slipping away from him, and turned to step around the corner to reenter the house, accepting her defeat in silence.

         "Misao, where are you going?"  She hadn't taken more than three steps when his voice stopped her.

        _So, he isn't going to make this easy for me…_ Misao squeezed her eyes shut tightly against the pain she felt welling up inside of her.  _Why?  Why is he doing this?  _Clenching her hands into fists, she allowed anger to replace the pain.  _How dare he?  Well…if he wants it this way, then so be it!  _She shook his hand off violently and glanced over her shoulder, expression tight with hurt indignation.  "I'm going back to my room!"  She spun away from him and stepped up onto the engawa, back stiff with her growing anger.  _How dare he toy with us like this?  _No sooner had she turned her back on him than she felt the hair at the nape of her neck stand on end, her only warning before she was trapped once again with his strong arms, being pulled tight against his chest.  She struggled, not wanting him to see her tears, to see how much his duplicity had hurt her.  _I wanted to believe!  I wanted to believe he could want me as I want him…_ She continued to struggle against his iron-like hold, teeth gritted in growing fury.  Suddenly she found herself being spun around, his strong arms holding her tightly against his lean form.  Green met gold and she went completely rigid, a delicate shiver coursing up her spine.  She raised her hands, intending to push him away and found herself closing them into fists instead.  Choking back a sob, she pounded her closed fists against his chest, eyes clouded with pain.  "I hate you!"  It emerged on a hoarse whisper.  "I hate you!  I hate you!  I hate you!"  Her voice gained volume with each exclamation until she was shouting, tears spilling from her eyes to fall unchecked.  She was barely aware of him lifting her and carrying her away from the house, out through the back gate and into the forest behind the doujou.  "I hate you!"  She cried a final time before drawing in a deep gasping breath, pausing in pounding against his muscular chest to swipe her arm across her face, angrily wiping away the tears.  "I hate you…and yet you make me feel this…this…fire!"  The confession ended on a hiss and she looked away, not wanting to meet his gaze any longer.  _I don't want to want you…_ She thought despairingly and silently admitted that despite everything, she still did want him…very much so, in fact.

        "You hate me?"  He whispered softly, ignoring the dull hurt building within his heart at the echoes of her words in his mind.  "Is that it, otome?"  He murmured against her hair, feeling her tremble against him in response.  Slowly he lifted his hand and gently stroked her hair back from her face, looking into her eyes, over bright with tears, and sighed softly, saddened by the hurt he saw reflected in the sea green depths.  "Is that why you tremble at my touch?"  He bent his head closer, not quite touching her lips with his own.  "Is that why you desire me?"  When she opened her mouth to hotly deny his claim, he placed a finger over her lips, staying the words before they emerged.  "The same way I desire you?"  He held his breath as he awaited her reply, praying that she wouldn't reject him…that she hadn't meant what she said…that she didn't truly hate him.  _Please, kami-sama…don't let her hate me._

        Her eyes slid closed as she reveled in the feel of his arms around her, his quiet strength warming her as nothing else ever could.  His soft voice echoed through her mind and she wondered at the meaning behind the words.  _Could it be?  _Hissing in anger, her eyes snapped open.  "I will not be your whore!"  She shoved at his chest violently.  "I will not be used!"  She cried out, shoving ineffectually at his chest again.  "I will not be used while you are in love with Kaoru…" She ended on a pained whisper, tears finally spilling down her cheeks as she bowed her head, shoulders shaking with her silent sobs.

        "Misao?"  He whispered, expression stricken.  "I-is that what you think?"  It hurt to realize that the thought so little of him.  He swallowed, bending his head to try to peer into her features, chest constricting painfully at the sight of her tears.

        Misao wept bitterly, heartbroken and full of despair.  She tried unsuccessfully once again to pull away from him.  "I won't…_can't_…leave myself open for that kind of rejection again."  She turned her head sharply away from the gentle touch of his fingers against her cheek.  She kept her gaze on the ground, staring at her bare feet, wiggling her toes against the cool leaf littered dirt of the path.

        "Misao…" He whispered softly, feeling as if his world were crashing down around him.  "Misao, please…look at me."

        At the sound of his soft, pained voice, Misao struggled, trying to break free again, wanting nothing more than to run, hide, and forget that the last three days had happened.  "I-I refuse…" She whispered brokenly, her tears falling faster.

        "Please, Misao…won't you please look at me?"  He was becoming increasingly worried as she continued to stare at the ground, slender frame shaking with her silent weeping.  He hated to see her like this, appearing as if her spirit had been broken…and knowing that it was all his fault.  When her knees buckled and she crumbled towards the ground, he automatically tightened his hold on her, lifting her against him wrapping his arms around her in a fiercely protective embrace.  _I won't let her go!  Not like this…never like this…_

        She allowed her body to go limp, half hoping that he'd just let her fall to the ground where she could curl up into a little ball.  "Never again…" She whispered.

        "Misao, look at me!"  He winced when she jumped at his forceful command, but refused to relent.  She closed her eyes tight, refusing to allow him any power over her.  "I said look at me!"  Her head snapped up despite her best intentions to refuse, unable to in the face of his harsh tone.  She couldn't remember ever hearing him use that tone of voice before and it almost frightened her.  However, it was the look in his eyes that held her mesmerized, her heart beating rapidly in her chest, a painful tightening beginning when she saw the deep hurt reflected in his amber ringed violet eyes.  "I do _not_ love Kaoru, that I do not.  At least, not as you so obviously are assuming."  He waited a moment, but she continued to regard him warily, green eyes bright with unshed tears, lips trembling.  He briefly closed his eyes and when he opened them the amber had receded, leaving soft, hurt violet.  "I care for her as a brother would a sister…nothing more."  He shook her gently, punctuating his words.  When still she remained silent, he sighed and lowered his gaze.  "Believe it or not, as fast as it has happened…" He drew in a shallow breath, preparing himself to place his pride in her small hands, praying that she wouldn't continue to reject him.  "You're the only one I want, Misao."  When she didn't push him away he looked up slowly to see a small frown puckering her brows.  Suddenly his eyes flared brilliant amber before settling into soft amethyst once more and he shook her again, this time a little harder.  "And if you ever refer to yourself in such an insulting manner again, I will not be held responsible for how I correct you.  You are not whore."  The last was said in a fierce whisper.

        Misao stared up at him, eyes wide with shock.  Slowly she reached up and brushed her fingers against his lips, seeing the uncertainty in his gentle violet gaze and hating herself for causing it.  "Kenshin…" She whispered, blinking away the tears that remained unshed in her sea green eyes.  Despite his strong words and quiet conviction, she knew that he was just as confused by the speed at which their new relationship was forming.  She swallowed and placed her other hand against his shoulder, fingers nervously smoothing the soft material of his gi.  She dropped her gaze to his muscular chest revealed by the opening in his gi.  "Y-you want me?"  She whispered softly, tongue darting out to lick her suddenly dry lips.  "You want me…as a man wants a…a woman?"  Meeting his gaze directly, she forced herself to not look away, demanding the truth with a single glance.

        Lips curving upwards into a gentle half smile, Kenshin nodded slowly, eyes focused on hers, trying to read the myriad of emotions flitting across her pretty features.  "Yes, Misao…" He murmured softly, arms pulling her closer against his lean form.  "Very much so…" He lowered his head, lips barely brushing against her own in a whisper soft caress.  "Do you still doubt it, otome?"  When she shook her head slowly his smile widened a little as he pulled back a short distance to look into her eyes again, his arms moving to encircle her waist and pull her flush against him.  "I am glad, that I am."  He brushed his lips against her own once, twice before claiming them in a gentle coaxing kiss, silently asking for her response to sooth his lingering anxieties.  To his delight, her arms moved around him as well, pulling his head down as she returned the kiss enthusiastically.

        Slowly, reluctantly, she pulled away, placing a hand against his chest when he moved to follow.  She shook her head slowly, earning a frown from him.  "You want me?"  He nodded and moved to kiss her again.  She placed her fingers against his lips, stalling his movement again and pretended to not see his small pout.  "Is that why you kissed me?"

        "So now it dawns on you to be curious?"  His lips curved up into a teasing grin when she nodded slowly.  "Yes, Misao…I want you."  He repeated slowly, enjoying the way his words caused her eyes to light up.

        A slight frown turned her lips downwards.  "But not Kaoru?"

        His smile widened a bit more.  "No, not Kaoru."  He almost laughed aloud at her pleased smirk.  "So, otome, I have soothed your raging jealousy?"

        Blushing, Misao looked away, but not before she saw the amusement lighting his violet eyes to twinkling amethyst.  Closing her eyes with a groan, she realized that this was his way of paying her back for the gay jokes from three days before over the laundry tub.  To make a joke of her jealousy… Suddenly she frowned.  _Was I jealous?  Was I jealous of Kaoru?  _She caught her lower lip between her teeth and opened her eyes to glance at him, seeing his knowing smile.  Sighing with a slight pout, she silently admitted that she had been jealous.  Tilting her head to the side curiously, she leveled a direct look at him.  Something wasn't quite right about the situation and it was beginning to bother her.  Looking up at him, expression sweetly innocent, she drew in a quick, fortifying breath before asking the question that was nagging the back of her mind.  "Kenshin…are we in love?"  She trusted him to answer her question honestly.  No matter what the answer, it would come from his heart, true and honest, and not what he might think she would want to hear.  She smiled a little at the thought.  _That's Himura Kenshin…honest to a fault.  I don't think he knows how to tell a falsehood._

Kenshin didn't reply immediately, choosing instead to truly think on her question and weigh his answer well before speaking.  "I think…" He began slowly, expression thoughtful.  "I think, otome, that what we share is a miwaku, that I do."

        "Hmm…" She pursed her lips thoughtfully, regarding him with a curious expression.  Finally she blushed and heaved a soft sigh.  "So…we don't know if this is love, then?"  Her lips curved into a smile in response to his amused expression, his eyes seeming to change yet again to a soft and gentle lavender.  _So many different colours!_  She thought in amazement.  Instinctively she new that he his changed with his emotions.  _His eyes truly are windows into his soul…_ She hoped that someday she'd be able to interpret each of the changing hues and know all of his changeable feelings.  _He's a very passionate man…_ She thought in awe, knowing that Himura Kenshin felt emotions much more strongly than most other people she'd known throughout her life.  It would be a true challenge to match his passions…but it would be very rewarding at the same time.

        "Miwaku is a funny thing, Misao, that it is.  It is very difficult to know the direction it will lead, that it is."  He tenderly brushed his fingertips against the smoothness of her cheek.  "It is impossible to determine what the future holds, that it is."

        Frowning thoughtfully, she moved her hands to the opening of his faded gi, pressing her palms against the smooth warmth of his muscular chest.  "Then…" She paused, trying to gather her thoughts.  "Then love isn't something that is known in an instant?"  She looked up at him questioningly and frowned some more when he remained silent.  "True love comes in time, as a man and woman grow and learn more about one another…" Her voice trailed off into nothingness as she watched the corners of his mouth turn slightly downwards.  She bit her lip and when she continued her voice was a soft whisper.  "And then they just might learn that they love each other in different ways…" _Like Aoshi-sama and me…_

        With a soft, inaudible sigh the red-haired rurouni forced a smile.  "This is true, Misao, that it is."  He wasn't certain what it was that he felt for the young woman in his arms, but he knew it was far more than mere momentary attraction.  What saddened him was the fact that she was right…time was needed to discover the true depth of their feelings.  _And time is something we don't have._

        Misao watched as his expressive eyes changed yet again, turning into a deep, sorrowful blue, a slight frown furrowing his forehead.  She reached up, gently smoothing her fingertips over the frown, earning a soft smile for her efforts.  "Kenshin…" She whispered, fascinated by the way his eyes seemed to light up when she spoke his name.  _Kami-sama…miwaku or more…I don't care!  All I know is that he means so much to me that my heart hurts at the thought of his leaving!  _"I'm so confused!"  She blurted out impulsively and then bit her lip, eyes wide in surprise at her sudden outburst.  "Ahhh…" She swallowed, thinking fast of a plausible reason behind her professed confusion.  "I-I don't know what to call you any more.  A part of me wants to call you Kenshin because that's who you are…" She paused, watching for any signs of suspicion, knowing that this man was nearly impossible to lie to with his uncanny ability to read people so accurately.  _Must be his training in the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu…_ She thought distractedly before continuing with her excuse.  "But then again, your name is also Matthew."  _That should be safe…after all, it isn't really a lie…it IS confusing!  _"So…" She swallowed and tried to pretend that she wasn't blushing bright enough to glow under the light of the moon shining through the canopy of branches and leaves growing high above them.  "What should I call you around everyone?"

        His lips curved upwards into a smile, sensing that there was more to her outburst than his name warranted, but he decided to accept her explanation rather than pursue it.  _She will tell me when she's ready and not a moment sooner._  "Kaoru-dono and the others don't know the English language, that they do not."  She nodded slowly and he found himself wondering if she knew anything of the foreign language.  "However, I don't think you should call me by my English name in front of them, that I do not."  He frowned and finally sighed.  "Nor do I think you should call me by my given name either."  He smiled a little at her pout and resisted the urge to lean forward and kiss it away.  She blinked in surprise and opened her mouth, intention obviously to ask why she shouldn't address him using his first name.  His smile widened slightly at her predictability, finding it sweetly endearing.  "It might seem odd to the others if you were to suddenly start addressing me by my given name, Misao, that it would.  I also would prevent hurt feelings if I could."

        She nodded slowly, expression solemn.  "I understand."  He didn't need to tell her that he was referring to Kaoru.  "I won't say a word, Kenshin…I promise."  Though it pained her to keep such a secret from her best friend, she also didn't want to be the cause of her broken heart, which would be the case if she ever found out about the recent developments in her relationship with Himura Kenshin.  "Will you tell them about…" She began only to be interrupted almost immediately.

        "No, Misao, no…" He closed his eyes and bowed his head, allowing his forehead to rest against hers.  "I don't want them to know of this mess with my English family, that I do not."

        She reached up and pressed her fingers against his strong jaw.  "I understand, Kenshin.  Don't worry.  I won't say anything to anybody about anything.  I promise."  Her words of understanding earned her another gentle smile followed by a soft, butterfly touch at her waist moving up to her ribcage and stopping just below her right breast.  With a soft gasp she pressed closer to him, enjoying the feel of his touch.  Closing her eyes to savor the sensation she smiled when she felt his breath fan her lips followed by a sweet and all too brief kiss.  _If this is what I get for understanding…I'm going to try like hell to understand everything!_

        Reluctantly he pulled back, peering down into her upturned face, memorizing the sweet and trusting features, committing them to memory.  He closed his eyes and pulled her a little closer.  _This is more than miwaku…so much more…_ He closed his eyes tighter, feeling a painful constricting within his chest.  _Just how much more?_  The thought caused him much distress.  _How can I possibly leave her now?  Just when we're coming closer to the answers!  Kami-sama…how can I leave now?  _But he knew that as much as he didn't want to leave, he had to, the decision had been made for him the moment his family in England had decided to remember his existence.  "Misao…" He murmured her name, treasuring the way it rolled off his tongue so easily.  "I promised that I would not leave until we had a chance to talk…" He paused and drew in a quick breath before continuing.  "But I can't stay any longer, that I cannot."  He pulled her a little closer, his arms tightening around her small frame.  "Someone might point whoever is seeking me in this direction, that they might.  I can't allow anyone else to get involved, that I cannot."  Fear for the safety of his friends at the Kamiya Doujou and the Aoiya in Kyoto had been causing him much anxiety over the past three days. "There's no telling why they are seeking me after all these years…" He whispered against her hair, inhaling the subtle scent of her perfume and committing it to memory as well.

        Misao cried out, clutching at his shoulders desperately.  _No!  No, he can't leave…not yet!_  Tears fell unchecked down her cheeks as she threw her arms around him, holding him close as she pressed her face against his chest.  "But you can't!"  Her hands clenched into fists against the faded and worn material of his gi.  "If you go now, you'll be shipped off and married before you can blink and say 'oro'!"  Her protest ended on a choked sob, the thought of losing him so thoroughly crumbled her defenses and broke through her composure.  "They'll marry you off to some stranger and then we'll never see each other again!"  Dimly she was aware that his arms had tightened around her, holding her so close that it was becoming difficult for her to breath.  "I couldn't bear that, Kenshin…I just couldn't…"

        "Misao…" He pressed his lips tightly together, resting his cheek against her dark hair with a soft sigh.  "Please don't cry, Misao.  There…" He paused, swallowing with some difficulty before continuing.  "There is nothing that can be done, that there is not."  The thought of abandoning all that could have been for the sake of his English heritage made no sense, yet he also knew that there was no other choice.  _For both of our sakes, i have to leave now before something irreversible happens between us._  "I'm sorry, that I am."  He whispered, too soft for her to hear above her quiet, heart-wrenching sobs.

        Misao's mind raced as she sought a solution to their untenable predicament.  Biting her lip she frowned against his chest, a fleeting thought entering her mind and sticking.  _It's crazy!  It's so crazy…it just might work… _"Kenshin…" She pulled back slightly, reaching up to brush her fingers against her cheeks, removing her tears.  "What if…" She paused and drew in a quick breath, screwing up her courage to continue.  "What if you were already married?"

        "O-oro?!"  Kenshin pulled back slightly and stared down into Misao's thoughtful features, feeling as if the world were tilting crazily beneath his feet.  _I WAS married!_  The thought sounded desperate, even to him.  "M-married, Misao?"  _I misunderstood!  That has to be it…I misunderstood her meaning, that's all._

        She nodded slowly, a frown of intense concentration marring her features.  "Yes.  What if Himura Kenshin was married?"  She focused on his horrified expression.  "Kenshin?  What is it?"

        "N-nothing!"  _Kami-sama…the implications…marriage…_ He tried to banish the images coming into his mind…all of which centered on Misao in the role of his wife.  _She would be bound to me…she'd have to stay with me…_ He shook his head sharply.  _No!  I could never do that to her!  Tear her from her family…all that she knows…_ He forced a bright rurouni smile to his lips.  "All is well, Misao, that it is."  He knew it was wrong, but the idea had taken root within his mind, teasing him, tempting him and he was hard pressed to banish the thought.  His mind was conjuring images of Misao in the role of his wife…every aspect of that role… He mentally smacked himself hard for his less than noble thoughts, though it did nothing to banish the image of the passionate young woman in his arms lying back against an unrolled futon, yukata gaping open, soft green eyes heavy with desire, lips swollen and damp from his kisses, arms outstretched, voice husky with need calling his name… He blinked, shifting uncomfortable, trying to hide his body's natural reaction to the little fantasy playing out in his mind.  _Himura, you are so pathetic… _He sighed softly, acknowledging that he was becoming fixated on Makimachi Misao.  _Nothing can ever come of this, so I may as well give it up._

        She pursed her lips thoughtfully, sensing that he wasn't being completely honest with her. "If Himura Kenshin was married…then Matthew Kingston couldn't be married off once he arrived in England."  She waited for his response and felt her worry increase when he merely stared down at the ground, expression distant, eyes a dull blue.  "Kenshin?"  She whispered softly, reaching up and gently touching his face, palm cupping his cheek tenderly, green eyes filled with concern, before she let her hand trail downwards to press against the warmth of his chest, over his heart, beneath his gi.  She blinked in surprise when she felt his heart beating rapidly, thudding beneath her hand.

        "Misao…" He paused and heaved a deep sigh.  "I don't want people to know that Himura Kenshin and Matthew Kingston are the same person, that I do not."  He looked away from her upturned face, staring instead into the darkness of the quiet forest, lips pressed together into a tight line as his eyes filled with weary sorrow.  _Alone…always alone…I can never allow those around me to truly know me…_ He closed his eyes, another soft sigh escaping him as his shoulders slumped slightly in defeat.  _To protect those I care about…I will tread the path of solitude, that I will.  I'm sorry, Misao…it's better this way…_

        "All right, then."  _Is he purposely missing the point?  Stupid rurouni… _She curled her fingers into a fist against his chest.  "Matthew…if you were already married, they couldn't marry you off once you reached England."  She closed her eyes and waited for his response.  _Two can play at the idiot game!  _She opened one eye to judge his response, lips curved upwards into a mischievous grin.

        She shivered, sea green eyes sliding closed in pleasure, a soft sigh escaping her parted lips, when his lips moved against her ear, a soft chuckle rumbling in his chest to whisper against the tendrils of hair escaping her braid.  "Matthew is it now?"

        Shivering in reaction, she raised her hand up again to cup his cheek, pausing for a moment to look into his eyes and see his amusement as well as the shadows of sorrow still lingering in the amethyst depts.  "Of course…that is your name, isn't it?"  She whispered softly, allowing her fingers to brush against his cheek briefly.  "Matthew Kingston…" She smiled at his slight frown.  "And an English Earl, right?"

        "Well…I don't know about that…" He cleared his throat, holding himself as still as he could beneath her tender touch.  "M-my grandfather…he's the Earl, that he is."  _Kami-sama but she's tempting me!  _He closed his eyes briefly, striving for continued restraint and control.  _I must not give in!_  But he wanted to.  He wanted to taste he sweet lips again, hear her soft voice rising with passion as she cried out his name.  _I want **her**!_

        "I'm just trying to show you the proper respect an Earl deserves."  Her smile widened into an impish grin, green eyes dancing with growing amusement.  "So…maybe I should call you Kenshin-sama instead?"

        His strong sword callused hands dropped to her waist, and then her hips, pulling her hard against himself, dropping his head to nip lightly at her delicate earlobe.  "Respect?"  He growled, delighting in her immediate response, as she pressed closer against him, her sweet curves tempting him as no other had done in years.  "Hmmm…" He murmured softly, trailing his lips across her delicate jaw to press a soft kiss against the corner of her mouth.  "My lord will do."  He bit back another groan when she moaned and wriggled against him.  "And if you don't stop tempting me, I will have you screaming something else!"  With that warning, he spun, pinning her against the tree behind them, lifting her, growling again when her yukata loosened and she wrapped her slender legs around him, and claimed her lips in a heated kiss, no longer asking for a response from her, but demanding one.

**~~*~~**

**_Definitions:_**

**_Otome:  _**daughter; young lady; virgin; maiden; **little girl**

**_Miwaku:  _**attraction; fascination; lure; captivation; charm

**__**


	5. Chapter 4

Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic

_Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X Original Japanese Version © N.Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual Works Inc. * Sony Pictures Entertainment_

All Fanfics created by Chiruken and Rurouni Angel were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A collaboration of Rurouni Angel and Chiruken

Rurouni Heir 

**by Rurouni Angel and Chiruken**

Chapter 4 

Eyes narrowed in concentration, Misao shifted her weight onto the balls of her feet spread shoulder width apart, arms raised, hands clutching at the familiar leather hilts of her kunai, and focused on the target set up across the yard against the wall of the Kamiya Doujou.  Pausing, she glanced over her shoulder, an eerie sensation of being watched overcoming her briefly.  When she saw no one, she shrugged and faced front again, closing her eyes to concentrate on sending her senses out and around the immediate vicinity in an effort to determine who may be watching her as she practiced.  Shaking her head with a sigh, she detected no one and knew that her training exercise couldn't continue.  She refused to practice when there was a possibility of someone spying on her.  It gave her an odd feeling, since she was the one who was the spy.  Grinning as she tucked her kunai into their various places within her Oniwabanshu uniform, she shook her head at the irony of that thought.  _I'm effectively the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu until Aoshi-sama resumes his responsibilities.  _"As if that's going to happen any time soon…" She muttered under her breath, casting one last lingering look around the yard before retrieving her abandoned target and tucking it under her arm as she strode to the training hall.

Peeking inside, she smiled when silence met her.  _Wonder where everyone went…_ Shrugging she entered silently and deposited her target in a corner and, on impulse, grabbed two shinai from their resting place on the wooden sword rack.  Looking around herself quickly to ensure that she truly was alone, she dropped into an alert stance, both wooden weapons held out to the sides.  Brows drawn into a frown of concentration, she drew in several deep breaths to center herself, striving to achieve calm centering as she'd been taught.  Once satisfied, she moved, executing her form perfectly, shinai whipping through the air with practiced ease, feet moving rapidly as she twisted and turned, a deadly dance being performed with equally deadly grace.  Suddenly she dropped and spun, shinai held horizontally to the ground, crossed over each other as she lunged forward using the strength of her legs to gain momentum, scissoring her weapons in a perfect imitation of Shinomori Aoshi's deadly technique.  "Gokou Juji!"  Coming to a stop, panting from her exertions, Misao smiled triumphantly.  _Everyone thinks I'm only good with the kunai…but what they don't realize is that all members of the Oniwabanshu are trained in kenjutsu.  _Tossing her long dark braid over her shoulder, she crossed to the sword rack and replaced the shinai where she'd found them.  _Some of us just prefer certain techniques to others…_

Exiting the training hall, Misao stretched her arms over her head, eyes moving automatically to the deserted washtub near the engawa.  Heaving a deep sigh she shrugged and crossed over to it, frowning when she saw no sign of the red-haired rurouni.  _Kenshin is gone, Misao…he's never coming back and you know it, so get over it!_  Smiling as she knelt in front of the tub, she found herself actually reaching for a piece of cloth to wash.  Smile widening into a grin, she shrugged.  _Well, someone has to do the laundry now that he's gone and it may as well be me since I'm the only one home right now._  Humming softly under her breath, she threw herself into the comforting routine of rhythmically scrubbing and wringing out the material, mind wandering back to the last bit of conversation she'd had with her stupid rurouni the night before as they'd walked back to the doujou under the pale and soft glow of the moon.  Hand in hand they'd walked through the quiet forest, neither of them speaking, merely enjoying their last moments together.  Biting her lip, Misao reached to the side and grabbed another item to wash, pausing to swipe her forearm across her eyes, refusing to allow tears to fall.  _I cried enough last night, I don't need to cry anymore._  Her lips curved into a sad smile as she scrubbed Yahiko's training gi vigorously.  _Neither of us wanted to break physical contact…not until the very last second.  _Gripping the soft material tight enough her fingers hurt, she felt her heart drop down into her stomach again at the memory of Kenshin's claim of miwaku…and his subsequent rejection.

Tossing the now clean gi into the waiting basket, she growled, reaching for another item to wash.  He hadn't listened to her, paid no heed to her arguments.  He'd been too stubborn to see that what she was suggesting was the most logical thing to do.  _How can he be so dense?  _"Stupid rurouni!"  Drawing in a sharp breath, she quickly glanced around herself to see if anyone had heard her sudden outburst.  With a soft sigh of relief, she returned to scrubbing the laundry when she didn't see anyone.  _But you know you're being watched.  Don't be so naïve!  _She briefly closed her eyes, the same eerie sensation from before making her hair rise up on the back of her neck, alerting her to some one else in the vicinity.  Heaving another sigh, she shook her head slightly and chose to ignore whoever was making it a hobby to spy on her.  _I'll get him when he least expects it!  After all, I am Makimachi Misao, Okashira of the Oniwabanshu…and there is no way I'm going to let a peeping demon get away with…_ She cleared her throat and stared into the sudsy water.  "Peeping…" She finished in a whisper.

Choosing to just ignore her unknown watcher until and if he or she made a threatening move, she allowed her thoughts to return to the events of the previous night, her mind going back to the last conversation she'd had with Himura Kenshin before he'd left the doujou…walking out of their lives for good.  Sighing, Misao allowed her eyes to drift closed, wet yukata slipping from her fingers to plop into the tub with a small splash, a dreamy expression crossing her pretty features as she allowed her mind to dwell on the earth-shattering kiss they'd shared.  She'd barely been able to remain standing after that, her thoughts scattered to the four winds as she'd rested her head against his shoulder with a contented smile.  _It felt so right being held in his arms…_ She sighed again and shook her head.  _But I had to open my big mouth…_ She'd forced herself to pursue the topic of marriage, despite the angry little voice whispering to her on the breeze, undermining her confidence and sowing the seeds of self-doubt.  Even in the bright light of day, that voice still echoed insidiously through her mind, chilling her, telling her that she could never be good enough, that she'd never be able to replace her… It had been as if Kenshin's first wife had returned, her angry spirit descending to hurl accusations upon the young woman's head.  "I'll never be as good as she was…I'll never replace her…" The doubts were rising up again, threatening to engulf her.

Standing abruptly, Misao turned her back on the laundry tub and raced across the yard, hurdling the back gate in her haste to run from her thoughts and doubts.  Swallowing hard, she knew that Tomoe was lingering in her thoughts and secretly she wondered if, despite his reassurances from the previous night, he felt the same way…that she'd never be good enough to replace the elegant woman.  Closing her hands into fists, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her into the forest, away from the doujou and the ghost of the woman Kenshin had loved so many years before.  Using her momentum to her advantage, she jumped and grasped a low hanging branch, pulling herself up into the tree to huddle against the trunk as she immersed herself fully into the memories of the night before.

Thoughts of Tomoe had lingered in the back of her mind as she stood within the comforting circle of his strong arms, haunting her, tormenting her, casting insidious tendrils of self-doubt to snag her and hold her captive.  She'd had no way of telling Kenshin of her fears, not without embarrassing herself.  When they'd reached the back gate to the doujou, she'd been surprised when he'd halted her, pausing to stare straight ahead, her hand still captured by his.  She'd bit her lower lip in uncertainty, shifting from one foot to the other, wondering if she should bring up her fears after all, tell him of her feelings of inadequacy in the wake of Tomoe's memory when he'd surprised her, yet again.  "Tomoe wasn't as good a wife as you are thinking…" His quiet voice had been soothing, yet the words had elicited so many more questions in her mind.  "She was a mere outlet back then, Misao…a way to feel…to experience emotion, something I'd denied myself for so long…" His soft violet eyes had held so much sadness that she'd wanted to throw her arms around him and hold him tight, offering comfort the only way she knew how.  "Some were more pleasurable than others…but to feel anything back then, back when I was drowning in the blood…" Misao had placed a light hand on his arm, green eyes compassionate as he'd bowed his head, eyes closed tightly against the painful memories.  When he continued, his voice had been a bare whisper above the familiar sounds of the night.  "I felt good for dirtying her…" He'd looked up slowly, meeting her gaze steadily, eyes shadowed with sorrow.  "It made me feel human again."

Misao closed her eyes tightly, trying to block out the silent anguish she'd seen in his eyes at his confession.  She hadn't lived during the chaos of the revolution, but she did see what it did to Aoshi-sama…and now Kenshin.  The rurouni's nature was to be gentle and kind, but the circumstances of the revolution and the task he'd been assigned had left no room for his true self to flourish and so Hitokiri Battousai, a cold, emotionless killer, had been created to mask the young man who's heart was too filled with sorrow and a wish for peace in order to survive.  Though she'd grown up on the stories of the most feared assassin, she'd never really thought of Kenshin as being particularly unbalanced.  Now she understood why.  Back then, everyone had needed a way to stay sane…and Kenshin found his through Tomoe.  "That's why he's the man we know today…because she kept him sane…" _How am I supposed to compete with that?_  She'd told him the night before that she understood and he hadn't objected when she'd pulled away to reenter the doujou's silent yard.  She'd had so much to think about…she'd needed time.  She'd managed to extract a promise from him to return one last time and she hoped that he would honor that promise.  "What am I thinking?  Himura Kenshin is a man of his word.  He would never break a promise…never."  She whispered the words with quiet conviction, believing them deep in her heart.

The snapping of a twig alerted her to the fact that she was no longer alone in the quiet forest.  Looking around with narrowed eyes, she searched the dappled floor for signs of the intruder.  Reaching for her kunai, she gritted her teeth and shifted until she was perched on the balls of her feet, her back to the large trunk of the tree, one hand up in front of her face to prevent the unknown interloper from being able to drop a noose around her neck, her ninja training kicking in automatically.  Her eyes moved restlessly around her immediate vicinity, and yet she saw no one.  Frustrated she shuffled further out on the limb, straining her senses for any sign of her stalker's location.

"Misao…" The low voice so close behind her startled the young ninja into losing her balance.  With a muffled exclamation and some imaginative swearing, she tumbled off the branch, the hard ground coming up fast to meet her impromptu descent, twisting in mid-air to land on her feet.  However, her feet never touched the ground as she felt strong arms come around her, catching her.  She had a moment of déjà vu, memory of when she'd first met Himura Kenshin and had foolishly tried to hurdle a chasm no one in their right mind would ever attempt to jump across.  _No one but Kenshin himself!_  She smiled a little, remembering how he'd jumped off the cliff after her, catching her, saving her.  Her smile changed into a grimace.  _Yeah…and I fainted in his arms.  Now, how embarrassing is that?_

Snuggling closer to her rescuer, Misao kept her eyes closed, recognizing the compact form instantly.  "You know, Kenshin, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that.  It isn't safe…I could've hurt you, you know."  She cracked one eye open when he remained silent and started almost violently, eyes going round and lips parting on a gasp.  "K-Kenshin!"  She lifted a hand weakly, her kunai falling from suddenly nerveless fingers, and allowed it to hover.  "Wh-what did you do?"  It emerged on a hoarse whisper as she finally allowed her fingers to rest on his cropped hair, cut short in the style favored by foreigners.  Her fingers fluttered nervously like butterfly wings against the closely cropped locks in the back, pausing to lightly touch the longer strands on top until finally running through the almost familiar fringe framing his handsome face.  Her gaze traveled lower, expecting the familiar and faded gi, but instead encountered a finely tailored western style suit and coat, complete with the fluffy white material at his throat.  _Cravat…_ Her mind supplied numbly.  "Oh Kenshin…" She whispered, green eyes shimmering with sadness.  It was as if her beloved rurouni were no more, replaced instead by a handsome westerner who bore a faint resemblance to the man she'd come to know and love.  Her eyes widened at that thought.  _No…no, not love…definitely not love._  She bit her lip and looked away from him, becoming uncomfortably aware that he still held her in his arms against his strong chest.  _It's miwaku…that's what it is.  Miwaku._  Drawing in a quick breath for courage, she decided to just jump right in.  _I want him and if it will help him, I'm willing to do whatever it takes.  Besides…he deserves to be happy and those stuffy foreign men and fluffy western women couldn't possibly do that for him.  I don't know if I can either…but I'm willing to try!  I **want** to try!  "We have to get married."_

One eyebrow shot up, a half smile quirking his lips upwards.  "Is that so?"  When she nodded his smile widened into a teasing grin.  "And why is that?"

Green eyes narrowed and lips pressed into a firm line, Misao swatted at his arm and tossed her head, long black braid swinging with the movement.  "Mou, Kenshin…you know why!  If we're married, then they can't marry you off to the first foreign woman they come across.  I've studied the western ways and I speak some of their language…"

"Which language?"  He interrupted, his curiosity piqued by her sudden announcement.

"Ano…English."  She tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips thoughtfully.  "How about you?"

He shook his head with a frown.  "I understand and speak some Dutch, that I do.  However, English is very confusing, that it is."

She nodded sympathetically.  "Yes, it is."  Suddenly she grinned.  "Now you see why it's logical for us to be married.  I understand the language of the country they'll be shipping you off to.  There's no telling what they'll try to make you do if they think you don't understand what they're saying.  It's better if I'm there to take care of you, Kenshin."

"Take care of me, is it?"  He laughed and shook his head.  "Misao, you're something else, that you are."  He leaned forward and pressed his lips lightly against hers in an all too brief caress.  When she tugged on his hair, pulling him close for another kiss, he didn't resist, choosing instead to draw it out, savoring the sensation of her lips moving against his own, of her soft, feminine body pressed close to his hard frame, reveling in the way she so passionately responded to his caressing hands and coaxing kisses.

Twining her arms around his neck, she leaned into the embrace, loving the feel of his arms around her, holding her.  She wanted to show him that she could make him feel just like Tomoe did…only happy feelings…more pleasurable feelings for the both of them than what he'd experienced during the revolution with his first wife.  Pressing closer to him, she gave herself over to the need coursing through her threatening to engulf her in flames.  _But I don't mind…I love the way he makes me burn…_ With a soft moan, she tentatively touched the tip of her tongue to his bottom lip and was rewarded by a low groan for her effort.  Lips curving upwards into a smile, she did it again, this time a little bolder and ran her tongue along his lower lip.  Shivering with pleasure, she tried to press herself closer to him.  _When did I become so wanton?  She shrugged the thought away as it formed.  _Who cares?  I like how he makes me feel and I want to feel more…__

Slowly, reluctantly, he drew back, breaking the kiss that was swiftly leading him down the road to temptation and allowed her to slide down his body until her feet touched the leaf-strewn path.  "Ahhh…Misao…" He murmured softly, tenderly brushing his sword callused fingers against her cheek.  "So sweet, so innocent…" He pressed his fingers to her chin, tilting her face up to his.  "I know a little of the ways of the English…" He paused, lips curving up into a wry grin.  "However, I don't know how to live in their ways, that I do not."

Meeting his soft violet gaze directly, ignoring the blush staining her cheeks, she licked her suddenly dry lips and drew in a quick, fortifying breath.  "That's why I should become your wife, you know.  I can help you, Kenshin.  I've studied their ways.  I can speak the language and I know of their strange customs."  When he looked as if he would refuse outright, she reached up and pressed her fingers against his lips.  "Please!  You won't tell Kaoru-san or Megumi-san, so who else is there to help you?"  She felt him stiffen and begin to pull away.  Biting her lower lip to still its trembling, she allowed her hand to fall to her side.  _Here it comes… Biting her lip harder, she closed her hands into fists at her sides.  __Oh kami-sama…why didn't I just keep my mouth shut?  I should have known he wouldn't want me in such a way…after all…in his eyes I'm still a child!  Needing to put some distance between them, Misao bowed her head to hide her tears of defeat.  It was a bitter realization to know that she'd done irreparable damage to the relationship that had been growing between them._

Studying her bowed head and reading the sadness in her ki, Kenshin heaved a silent sigh and raked his fingers through his hair, sending the red strands into tumultuous disarray.  "Misao…" He whispered leaning closer to her.  His frown deepened to a scowl when she seemed to flinch and pull away from him.  "Misao, I will not let you give up your life for me."

Her head snapped up, eyes blazing as she raised a fist to press against her chest over her heart.  "What gives you the right to decide that?  I'm old enough to decide what I want to do with my life."

"England is very far away from Japan.  What of Aoshi and Okina…the other members of the Oniwabanshu…your family?  I won't separate you from your family, that I will not!"

Growling in frustration, Misao scowled at him, green eyes narrowed, and took a deliberate step forward, closer to him.  "Stupid rurouni!  What of your family?  What about them?  You'll be leaving them behind when you go.  Will you just up and go to a new country and become someone else without anyone to help you?  To care for you?"  She lowered her voice to a bare whisper.  "Who'll protect you, Kenshin?"

Gently brushing his thumb over her lower lip, Kenshin smiled before drawing her back into his arms.  "Do you think to act as my bodyguard, Misao?"  He rested his cheek against the top of her head, eyes falling closed as he inhaled the delicate scent of her perfume.  "Is that what you're proposing?"  His lips curved upwards into a mischievous grin.  "I'm very lucky, that I am.  Not many are offered the services of the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu…not in this capacity."  He fought to hold in his laughter when he felt her stiffen as a low growl rose from her bowed head and she tried to pull away.

"Are you purposely trying to make me mad, Himura?  If so, you're doing a remarkable job of it!"  With that said she tried to twist out of his embrace, head coming up, and eyes blazing emerald fire.  "Damn it!  Let me go!"

With a wicked smile, Kenshin pulled her tighter against his lean form.  "I love the way your eyes sparkle when you're angry, that I do."  He whispered as he pressed his lips against her cheek in a tender show of affection.  His eyes snapped open the instant before he felt the cold steel of a blade press against his neck menacingly.  _Aoshi… He thought darkly.  __How could I have become so careless as to allow him to get this close without detecting him?  Are my senses so dulled by the sweet temptation that Misao offers that I could become this lax in my attentiveness?  Gritting his teeth, he held himself stiffly, not daring to move lest the blades owner lose patience and press the blade closer._

Misao's eyes widened as her lips parted on a sharp gasp.  "Aoshi-sama!"  _Oh kami-sama!  What is he doing here?!_

"Release her now if you value your life."  The former leader of the elite group of spies from Kyoto growled, eyes narrowed to icy emerald slits.  "Now."  He ended, adding more pressure to the blade of his kodachi pressed threateningly against the exposed flesh of the finely dressed foreigner attacking his sweet and innocent Misao, whom he regarded as a younger sister and therefore someone under his protection.

"Aoshi-sama…y-you don't understand…" She began, and then glanced up at Kenshin to see his expression.  He looked surprisingly calm considering the circumstances, even smiling as if nothing were wrong…as if Aoshi weren't holding a very sharp blade against his neck, threatening to kill him.  Biting her lower lip, Misao pressed her hand against his chest and pushed.  His eyes opened slowly, pinning her with a direct golden stare.

Aoshi's eyes narrowed further as he flexed his wrist, tapping the blade lightly against the stranger's neck in a not so subtle reminder of his presence.  "Move."  His voice was as flat and emotionless as ever.  "Now."

Slowly, with infinite care, drawing in a slow, deep breath, Kenshin turned with careful deliberation to face the other man, lifting his hand to press two fingers against the bared blade of the kodachi and pushing it aside, glaring at him with baleful amber eyes.  "Do you mind?"  He annunciated each syllable with cutting precision.

Narrowed green eyes widening in disbelief, Shinomori Aoshi took a hesitant step back, his arm falling to his side, the kodachi falling to the ground, slipping from suddenly nerveless fingers.  "Battousai?"  The word emerged on a hoarse whisper.

Kenshin opened his mouth to reply with a scathing comment when a gentle hand on his arm stopped him.  He glanced down into Misao's pleading green eyes and released a long-suffering sigh before turning back to face the other man.  "What do you want, Aoshi?"  He carefully maintained a neutral tone of voice as he addressed him.

Aoshi shook off his momentary stupor.  "Battousai…why are you dressed like that?"  He glanced at the young woman standing behind him with her eyes downcast, her face an interesting shade of red.  "And what were you doing with Misao?"

Misao hurriedly stepped around the rurouni to plant her fists on her hips and glare at the taller man.  "Aoshi-sama…there is a perfectly logical explanation as to why Ken--…I mean Himura…is dressed like this.  You don't need to jump to conclusions, you know.  And what gives you the right to pry into my personal affairs?  In case you've forgotten _I'm the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu…you stepped down from your duties two years ago and never gave a hint that you'd like to be reinstated.  You have no right to tell me what to do and who to do it with.  I'm a grown woman in case you haven't noticed and I can make my own decisions and any choices I make are mine to make and live with.  You have no say in what I may choose to mmmph!"  The rest of her tirade was cut off by Kenshin's had covering her mouth._

"What Misao is trying to say in her own eloquent way is that I'm leaving Japan, that I am."  He winced when he felt sharp teeth bite into his hand.  "Itai!"  He released her and shook his hand before inspecting the perfectly formed teeth marks.  "You bit me!"  He sent a hurt, accusing look her way and was met with a careless shrug.

"You shouldn't have stuck it in my mouth."  She tossed her head with a sniff. She turned her gaze on Aoshi briefly before sighing.  "Kenshin, how much of the recent events do you want to reveal to Aoshi-sama?"

"What events?"  Aoshi looked from one to the other, her usage of the rurouni's given name not lost on him.

"My…family…is searching for me."  The former hitokiri raked a hand through his hair, the red waves standing straight on end for a moment before he ran his palm over them again, smoothing them.  "My family from England, to be specific."

"I…see…"

"Kenshin is an English Earl."  Misao supplied eagerly, green eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Well…I don't know about that…" He placed a hand behind his head in a gesture of acute embarrassment.

"So it makes sense that the reason they're looking for him now after all this time is so that they can get him over there in England and marry him off!"

"We don't know that for…"

"So, I'm trying to convince him that the only way to avoid that trap is if he's already married."

"I'm certain Kaoru-san would be ecstatic."  Aoshi noted dryly, fascinated by the way Kenshin's face was beginning to rival his hair in shade.

"K-Kaoru?!"  Misao cried, face draining of all colour.

Quickly placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he squeezed lightly when he felt her trembling.  "No, Aoshi, not Kaoru-dono."  He closed his eyes briefly as the quiet words hung in the still air between them.

"Not…Kaoru-san?"  He repeated slowly.  "Who then?  Megumi-san?"  Suddenly his eyes widened.  "Misao?!"

"And why not?  I know the English language and of their odd customs.  I can help him more than either Kaoru-san or Megumi-san.  Tell him Aoshi-sama…tell him that I would be the logical choice."

"I doubt logic has much to do with this."  He muttered under his breath before clearing his throat.  "It is true that Misao has extensive knowledge of the English and said knowledge would be a definite asset when dealing with the foreigners."

"See?"  Misao grinned, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet in her excitement.  "Even Aoshi-sama agrees."

"I never said it wasn't logical…"

Misao turned to face Aoshi directly, momentarily ignoring the rurouni.  "He's just being stubborn.  Tell him it's the right thing to do, Aoshi-sama."  Her green eyes pleaded with him to go along with her and substantiate her plans.

Clearing his throat he nodded slowly.  He had his doubts, most of which stemmed from the smaller man's violent past, but he would put them aside for the moment in view of Misao's obvious desire to be with him.  "She is correct, Battousai.  This is the only thing to do."  He turned to her with a stern expression.  "Misao, give us a moment."  She nodded reluctantly and slowly stepped away.  When she was out of hearing, the former Okashira of the Oniwabanshu turned back to the oddly dressed rurouni.  "All right.  I won't mince words.  Misao fancies herself in love with you so you will take her with you, marry her and make her happy."

Kenshin stared up at the taller man.  "L-love?"  He repeated incredulously before shaking his head.  "You are mistaken, Aoshi."  He smiled with a shrug, amber receding from his eyes and leaving the usual soft and gentle violet hue in its wake.  "Misao is…"

"Whatever you want to call it, the truth is the truth.  However, I will not waste my time arguing the point with you.  In the end, one fact remains clear.  If you were to leave her behind she would be devastated.  Misao has a driving need to know that she is helpful…that her assistance is needed and wanted.  I haven't done much towards helping her grow into a confident young woman.  Don't make the same mistake I did, Battousai.  Don't throw her affection back into her face.  Don't break her heart.  It would destroy her this time."

He turned slowly to gaze out into the shadowed woods, hands shoved into his pockets, shoulders hunched.  "All right…" He murmured softly, eyes closed as he tilted his face up to the slight breeze rifling through his hair.  "All right, Aoshi.  I'll do it.  But on one condition."  He turned slowly to face the other man again.  "This conversation never happened.  You don't know where I'm going or why."

"You aren't going to bid farewell to the others."  It wasn't a question.

He shook his head slowly.  "No.  It would complicate matters, Aoshi.  I have no desire to cause Kaoru-dono more hurt, but if I were to tell her the reason behind my leaving…it would hurt her to know that I won't be returning."

"And this is better?"  Aoshi slowly shook his head.  "It is ultimately your decision, Battousai."  He slowly bowed to the smaller man.  "Have a safe journey and take care of Misao."  He straightened and offered a rare smile.  "It has been an honor knowing you Himura Kenshin."

Kenshin returned the gesture.  "Take care of yourself, Aoshi…" He turned and strode towards the young woman watching them anxiously.  "Come, Misao…we must hurry."

**~~*~~**


End file.
